by Editor BGF | Dec 15, 2024 | News, Shaping Futures
Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab on Monday December 9, 2024 said that it has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing with a new generation of chip, solving a computing problem in five minutes that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe.
Like other tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and International Business Machines (IBM.N), opens new tab, Alphabet’s Google is chasing quantum computing because it promises computing speeds far faster than today’s fastest systems. While the math problem solved by the company’s Santa Barbara, California quantum lab does not have commercial applications, Google hopes quantum computers will one day solve problems in medicine, battery chemistry and artificial intelligence that are out of reach for today’s computers.
In an X post on December 9, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the chip cracked “a 30-year challenge in the field.”
“We see Willow as an important step in our journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design + more”.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-says-it-has-cracked-quantum-computing-challenge-with-new-chip-2024-12-09/
https://www.businessinsider.com/google-unveiled-quantum-computer-chip-willow-2024-12
by Editor BGF | Dec 15, 2024 | Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, News
Akie Abe, the widow of slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will meet U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to a CNN report.
She is expected to dine with Trump, who is set to begin his second term next month, and his wife, Melania, the report said. The former prime minister enjoyed a close relationship with Trump and was the first world leader to meet him as president-elect in 2016.
Following Abe’s assassination during an election campaign stump speech in July 2022, Trump called his widow to express his condolences, CNN said.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241214/p2g/00m/0in/005000c
https://japan-forward.com/trump-to-dine-with-late-pm-shinzo-abes-wife-at-mar-a-lago/
by Editor BGF | Dec 15, 2024 | World Leader for Peace and Security, News, World Leaders in AIWS Award Updates
The meeting is taking place at the Elysée Palace, ahead of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s grand reopening, after five years of reconstruction.
President Emmanuel Macron, 2024 World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient, hosted three-way talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, 2022 World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient, and US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris on Saturday, December 7. Trump held talks with Macron inside the Elysée Palace ahead of the re-opening ceremony for Notre-Dame Cathedral, with Zelensky then arriving and immediately joining them. The trio posed for a picture but made no further public comment before starting the talks.
When he arrived at the Elysée, US President-elect Donald Trump said that the world was “a little crazy” as he met Macron. The two men embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, with Trump given a full guard of honor.
“It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for talks with Macron which started around 45 minutes later than scheduled.
Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump hailed his ties with the centrist French leader, saying: “We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot.”
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/12/07/trump-zelensky-meet-in-paris-as-macron-hosts-three-way-talks_6735534_4.html
https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-notre-dame-f97fde62ca2ce68c3874c395b305e26b
by Editor BGF | Dec 15, 2024 | News
Syria’s new government has told business leaders it will adopt a free-market model and integrate the country into the global economy in a major shift from decades of corrupt state control, the head of the biggest Syrian business lobby said on Tuesday.
“It will be a free-market system based on competition,” Bassel Hamwi, head of the Damascus Chambers of Commerce, told Reuters in an interview, three days after rebel forces toppled President Bashar al-Assad, opens new tab, ending a 54-year family autocracy.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, 2020 World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient, said: “The collapse of the Assad regime offers new hope for the Syrian people. But this moment of change also carries risks and brings hardship. With the situation on the ground so volatile, our help to the people of Syria is ever more important.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrias-new-rulers-back-shift-free-market-economy-business-leader-says-2024-12-10/
https://www.ft.com/content/7efc20db-6da9-47d0-96e3-94b0f230134c
https://www.agensir.it/quotidiano/2024/12/13/syria-humanitarian-aids-and-funds-from-the-eu-von-der-leyen-after-assad-new-hope-for-the-people/
One of BGF’s flagship programs, the Four Pillars for Peace and Security, brings together key global players including the United States, Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and India. In today’s increasingly unstable world, the Four Pillars initiative serves as a vital framework for cooperation and strategic alignment among these influential nations. Additionally, BGF proudly incorporates the Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, honoring the legacy of Japan’s former Prime Minister and his contributions to international stability and diplomatic relations.
by Editor BGF | Dec 15, 2024 | Global Alliance for Digital Governance
Professor Alex Pentland, a member of the BGF Board of Directors, delivered a talk at the BGF Conference “AIWS – New Democracy” on November 25, 2024, at Harvard University’s Loeb House. He highlighted the intricate balance between fostering AI innovation and implementing effective regulations to ensure that AI serves societal interests without stifling creativity and progress.
Professor Pentland emphasized the importance of transparent audit trails, combating misinformation, and updating societal structures. These points underscore the need for proactive and adaptive governance in the era of artificial intelligence.
Watch the full talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig6pV1TZ2u4
by Editor BGF | Dec 12, 2024 | Papers & Reports, Publications
Michael Dukakis, Elisabeth Moreno, Yasuhide Nakayama
With advisory guidance by Alex Pentland, Tuan Anh Nguyen
Boston, December 12, 2024
Abstract
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented opportunities to transform governance and essential public services. However most discussions have focused on one aspect of AI or one aspect of governance. What has been missing is a wholistic picture of how we might transform government for the better by using AI to augment human judgement. This paper attempts to outline what a positive future might look like, by proposing a AIWS (Artificial Intelligence World Society) Government model, envisioning a continuously operating national government enhanced by AI and aligned with AIWS principles. This model introduces ideas for how governments can transform governance in the Age of AI. We also propose the Boston Areti AI (BAI), an AI agent designed to assist leaders, learn from extraordinary leaders and influential individuals, improve year by year, and preserve their legacies. The AIWS Government model aims to create a principled, transparent, and citizen-centric governance system that operates every hour of every day, with no holidays, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.
Crucially, this model does not require staff reductions; instead, it envisions reorganizing employees into shifts supported by AI agents, enabling continuous operation and enhanced efficiency. Over time, we expect that the system will be refined, by recognizing unintended consequences, by integrating new data and solutions, and adapting to changing societal needs. This paper outlines a vision of AIWS Government, integrates BAI within it, and begins to explore the potential benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations of implementation.
Alongside governance, we imaging forming AIWS Universities and AIWS Healthcare in order to illustrate how the AIWS framework can inspire comprehensive reforms in education and healthcare. Together, these concepts envision how governments can ethically and effectively embrace AI, fostering innovation, public trust, and a better quality of life.
We call on technical communities to join us in refining and realizing these ideas.
Download are here.
by Editor BGF | Dec 12, 2024 | News
Boston, December 12, 2024 — Today, as the Boston Global Forum (BGF) celebrates its 12th anniversary, we proudly unveil the logo and poster for AIWS Government 24/7. This announcement follows the November 25, 2024 event at Harvard University’s Loeb House, where BGF honored President Emmanuel Macron as the 2024 World Leader for Peace and Security Award, and the “AIWS – New Democracy” conference launched the AIWS Government 24/7 initiative.
As we enter the Age of Global Enlightenment, BGF calls upon technical communities, business leaders, governments, and citizens worldwide to join us in realizing the vision of AIWS Government 24/7. Together, we can build a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and compassionate world.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the distinguished leaders, thinkers, innovators, and friends—along with our valued partners across the United States and internationally—who have supported and shaped our journey. We also thank the dedicated BGF leaders, staff, and contributors who have been instrumental in driving our mission forward over the past 12 years.
Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Chair of the Boston Global Forum
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Chair and CEO of the Boston Global Forum
by Editor BGF | Dec 8, 2024 | News, Shaping Futures
Boston, December 9, 2024 – As part of the AI Action Summit, which will take place in Paris on February 10–11, 2025, France has launched the “AI Convergence” Challenges to showcase the dynamism of academic and industrial ecosystems and the global foundation of their innovations.
The goal of these challenges is to promote projects that tackle ambitious technological problems or societal issues, demonstrating the value of AI for humanity as a whole. This initiative also represents a significant opportunity to unite ecosystems, foster a shared vision, and generate stimulating ideas and solutions around this transformative technology. AI Convergence is already underway, showcasing its potential as both an accelerator and a differentiator.
Researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators from all sectors: if you have an ambitious project that addresses unresolved issues using AI, respond to this call by submitting your challenge! Selected projects will receive significant visibility during the summit period.
Five Themes to Address AI Challenges
The challenges aim to foster innovative solutions in the following priority areas of the Summit:
- Public Interest AI
- Future of Work
- Innovation and Culture
- Trust in AI
- Global AI Governance
The AI Action Summit, hosted by France on February 10–11, 2025, will spotlight concrete actions ensuring that AI development and deployment benefit society, the economy, and the environment while upholding the common good. The summit will bring together Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs of small and large companies, representatives of academia, non-governmental organizations, artists, and members of civil society.
In his acceptance speech for the 2024 World Leader for Peace and Security Award, organized by the Boston Global Forum on November 25, 2024, at Harvard University’s Loeb House, President Macron shared his vision for global collaboration and technological advancement:
“I invite you all to Paris for our Summit for Action on AI in February: economic actors, decision-makers, and thinkers—we must create global consensus and make decisions at the right pace and on the right scale.
In this regard, your quest for Enlightenment on a global scale can only resonate in France, in this pursuit of progress against all forms of obscurantism.
I believe in our collective capacity to put technology at the service of protecting our democracies and to forge a new era of prosperity, freedom, and stability in the world. I believe, like you, that we cannot and must not renounce our humanism and our Enlightenment ideals for the coming century.
Thank you all for your unwavering commitment.
Thank you for this award, which honors France and compels us to act collectively starting this February in Paris.”
In alignment with President Macron’s vision, the Boston Global Forum will contribute to the upcoming AI Action Summit with its pioneering initiative, “AIWS Government 24/7”. This initiative aims to support continuous, around-the-clock governance through advanced artificial intelligence, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency for global leaders.
by Editor BGF | Dec 8, 2024 | Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, News
At the Boston Global Forum conference honoring French President Emmanuel Macron with the “2024 World Leader for Peace and Security Award,” Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs, Yi-Jing Lin, spoke at the “AIWS – New Democracy” panel session on “Strategies for Democracy to Win in the AI Battle.” Below are the slides from Minister Lin’s presentation.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=i_XmMXfVOgQ%3Fstart%3D7853%26end%3D8320
