by Editor BGF | Feb 9, 2025 | Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, News
President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru held their first official meeting Feb 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C., where they affirmed their determination to pursue a new golden age for U.S.-Japan relations that upholds a free and open Indo-Pacific and brings peace and prosperity to a violent and disorderly world.
U.S.-Japan Coordination in the Indo-Pacific
The two leaders shared views on the severe and complex security environment and expressed their determination to continuously cooperate to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. As part of such cooperation, the two leaders intend to advance multilayered and aligned cooperation among like-minded countries, including Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad), Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan-U.S.-Australia, and Japan-U.S.-Philippines. Through these relationships, the United States, Japan, and like-minded partners can deliver high quality infrastructure investments in the region, including the deployment of Open Radio Access Networks in third countries.
The two leaders reiterated their strong opposition to any attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea. The two leaders reaffirmed their strong opposition to the PRC’s unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/02/united-states-japan-joint-leaders-statement/
by Editor BGF | Feb 9, 2025 | Global Alliance for Digital Governance
The Boston Global Forum is pleased to welcome and thank the Enlightenment in Action Alliance (EAA) delegates for attending the AI Action Summit event, including:
| Dang Nguyen |
Harvard University |
| Simar Bajaj |
University of Oxford |
| Cameron Tice |
University of Cambridge |
| Srihitha Dasari |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Sacha Alanoca |
Stanford University |
| Sarosh Nagar |
University College London |
| Cameron Sabet |
Georgetown University |
| Minh Pham |
University of California, Los Angeles |
| Tuan Bao Vinh |
Emory University |
| Luigi De Angelis |
Harvard University |
| Jason Zhao |
University of Pennsylvania |
| Abhishek Das |
Johns Hopkins University |
| Ketan Tamirisa |
Washington University in St. Louis |
| Peyman Owrang |
American University |
| Sammer Marzouk |
Northwestern University |
| Rithwik Sudharsan |
University of California, Berkeley |
| Jennifer Wang |
Brown University |
| Sumanth Ratna |
Yale University |
| Jason Shin |
Stanford University |
| Berke Altiparmak |
Harvard University |
| Urvish Jain |
University of Pittsburgh |
and outstanding students for their contributions to Creating a New Paris of Enlightenment, including:
| Dang Nguyen |
Harvard University |
| Cameron Tice |
University of Cambridge |
| Sarosh Nagar |
University College London |
| Cameron Sabet |
Georgetown University |
| Minh Pham |
University of California, Los Angeles |
| Tuan Bao Vinh |
Emory University |
| Luigi De Angelis |
Harvard University |
| Jason Zhao |
University of Pennsylvania |
| Abhishek Das |
Johns Hopkins University |
| Ketan Tamirisa |
Washington University in St. Louis |
| Sumanth Ratna |
Yale University |
| Jason Shin |
Stanford University |
| Berke Altiparmak |
Harvard University |
| Sammer Marzouk |
Northwestern University |
by Editor BGF | Feb 2, 2025 | AI Action Summit, News
📅 Date & Time: February 11, 2025 | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM, Paris time
📍 Venue: ENS, Paris PSL, 45 Rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
🎤 Organizer: Boston Global Forum
This pivotal session at the AI Action Summit Paris 2025 will explore the transformative potential of AIWS Government 24/7, a pioneering model designed to modernize governance with AI-driven, seamless public services operating 24/7. It will also introduce the “Creating a New Paris of Enlightenment” program, positioning France as a beacon of the AI Age—excelling in AI technology, economy, governance, and society while reviving its historical brilliance with a New Paris of Enlightenment.
Keynotes:
- “AIWS Government 24/7 and A New Paris of Enlightenment”
- “Creating A New Paris of Enlightenment”
As a special tribute to President Emmanuel Macron and the people of France, this event will highlight how AI can revolutionize governance, strengthen digital democracy, and position France as a global leader in the AI Age. Thought leaders, policymakers, and innovators will convene to discuss AI-driven governance reforms that optimize government effectiveness and societal well-being.
https://www.ai-inthecity.ens.psl.eu/en/programme
by Editor BGF | Feb 2, 2025 | News
A team working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been granted access to a highly sensitive Treasury Department payment system that processes $6 trillion per year, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved the access, a move that has sparked controversy within the department. The former top career official overseeing the system was placed on leave and later resigned after refusing to approve the access request, raising concerns about government transparency and financial security.
Critics argue that this decision blurs the lines between private sector influence and federal financial oversight, while supporters claim it is a step toward modernizing government operations. The Treasury Department has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/01/elon-musk-treasury-payments-system/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert
by Editor BGF | Feb 2, 2025 | News, Shaping Futures
Recommendations for Realizing AIWS Government 24/7:
- Establish a Global Alliance for Digital Governance – France should lead efforts to create an AI governance alliance, bringing together democratic nations to develop policies that ensure AI’s responsible use in government.
- Develop an AI Ethics and Transparency Framework – Governments must adopt a universal AI ethics charter that includes transparency, accountability, and human-centric design.
- Invest in AI for Public Services – AIWS Government 24/7 should be piloted in France, using AI to improve healthcare, education, legal systems, and social services, ensuring continuous and responsive governance.
- Create AI-Powered Citizen Engagement Platforms – Governments should develop AI-powered platforms that allow citizens to interact with policymakers in real-time, fostering public participation. This is a core component of AIWS Government 24/7.
- Ensure AI for Democracy, Not Control – AI should be used to strengthen democratic institutions, not to censor, manipulate, or surveil populations. France should take the lead in safeguarding these principles.
- Launch AI Talent and Innovation Hubs Named “Global Enlightenment Mountain” (GEM) – Establish AI research centers that bring together students, researchers, and policymakers to develop AI applications aligned with Enlightenment values. This is an innovative new model, evolving beyond Silicon Valley.
- Enhance Cybersecurity and Data Protection – Governments must develop strict AI security protocols to prevent cyberattacks, deepfake misinformation, and AI-driven manipulations.
- Promote AI Education and Public Awareness – AI literacy programs should be introduced in schools and universities to ensure that the next generation understands both the benefits and risks of AI governance.
- Facilitate Cross-Cultural AI Collaborations – France should foster AI collaborations between the EU, US, Japan, India, and ASEAN, ensuring that AI-driven governance reflects diverse perspectives.
- Declare Paris the Global Hub for Ethical AI Governance – France should position itself as the leader of ethical AI and use the New Paris of Enlightenment as a model for democratic AI governance worldwide.
Endorsement and Background
These recommendations are the result of in-depth discussions by the Enlightenment in Action Alliance (EAA), a distinguished network of outstanding students from top universities including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, Columbia, UCLA, Georgetown, Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Oxford, Cambridge, and Paris PSL.
The EAA’s proposals were formulated during “AI Action Summit: Transforming Governance in the Age of AI,” an official event of “On the Road to the AI Action Summit in Paris,” organized by the Boston Global Forum (BGF).
The EAA, mentored and sponsored by the Boston Global Forum, is dedicated to advancing the vision of AIWS Government 24/7 and contributing to the development of the Special Program “Creating a New Paris of Enlightenment.”
