by Editor BGF | Oct 26, 2024 | Global Alliance for Digital Governance
On October 24, 2024, President Biden issued the first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The NSM’s fundamental premise is that advances at the frontier of AI will have significant implications for national security and foreign policy in the near future. The NSM builds on key steps the President and Vice President have taken to drive the safe, secure, and trustworthy development of AI, including President Biden’s landmark Executive Order to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of AI.
The NSM directs the U.S. Government to implement concrete and impactful steps to (1) ensure that the United States leads the world’s development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; (2) harness cutting-edge AI technologies to advance the U.S. Government’s national security mission; and (3) advance international consensus and governance around AI.
The NSM is designed to galvanize federal government adoption of AI to advance the national security mission, including by ensuring that such adoption reflects democratic values and protects human rights, civil rights, civil liberties and privacy. In addition, the NSM seeks to shape international norms around AI use to reflect those same democratic values, and directs actions to track and counter adversary development and use of AI for national security purposes.
Please read full here:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/24/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-outlines-coordinated-approach-to-harness-power-of-ai-for-u-s-national-security/
The Boston Global Forum welcomes the National Security Memorandum on AI issued by President Biden and Vice President Harris. We recognize this memorandum as a significant advancement in aligning with the principles of the AI World Society (AIWS) Model, fostering responsible AI development for national security and global benefit.
by Editor BGF | Oct 26, 2024 | Event Updates, News
The Boston Global Forum (BGF) will host the conference “AIWS for New Democracy: Strategies for Democracy to Win in the AI Battle” at Harvard University’s historic Loeb House on November 25, 2024. This significant event aims to convene eminent thinkers, policymakers, and business leaders to formulate actionable strategies that promote democratic principles within the framework of the Artificial Intelligence World Society (AIWS) and to build a new democracy empowered by AI technologies.
The conference will feature a keynote address by Audrey Tang, Cyber Ambassador-at-Large of Taiwan and former Minister of Digital Affairs. Two additional distinguished speakers will join:
- Mark Kennedy, Director of The Wilson Center’s Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition and Member of the BGF Board of Thinkers
- Elisabeth Moreno, former French Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities and BGF Representative in Africa, Knowledge Platform Coordinator – France
Other confirmed distinguished speakers include:
- Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, MIT
- E. Yi-Jing Lin, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs, Taiwan
This gathering promises to be a pivotal moment for discussions on how AI can be harnessed to strengthen democratic values and institutions worldwide
Hon. Elisabeth Moreno speaks at C20-G20 Summit India 2023
by Editor BGF | Oct 20, 2024 | News, Shaping Futures
First, Washington needs to start taking AGI seriously. The potential risks are too great to ignore. Even in a good scenario, AGI could upend economies and displace millions of jobs, requiring society to adapt. In a bad scenario, AGI could become uncontrollable.
Second, we must establish regulatory guardrails for powerful AI systems. Regulation should involve government transparency into what’s going on with the most powerful AI systems that are being created by tech companies. Government transparency will reduce the chances that society is caught flat-footed by a tech company developing AGI before anyone else is expecting. And mandated security measures are needed to prevent U.S. adversaries and other bad actors from stealing AGI systems from U.S. companies. These light-touch measures would be sensible even if AGI weren’t a possibility, but the prospect of AGI heightens their importance.
In a particularly concerning part of Saunders’ testimony, he said that during his time at OpenAI there were long stretches where he or hundreds of other employees would be able to “bypass access controls and steal the company’s most advanced AI systems, including GPT-4.” This lax attitude toward security is bad enough for U.S. competitiveness today, but it is an absolutely unacceptable way to treat systems on the path to AGI. The comments were another powerful reminder that tech companies cannot be trusted to self-regulate.
Finally, public engagement is essential. AGI isn’t just a technical issue; it’s a societal one. The public must be informed and involved in discussions about how AGI could impact all of our lives.
BGF has been pioneering the AI World Society (AIWS) since 2017.
Daniel Colson
https://time.com/7093792/ai-artificial-general-intelligence-risks/
by Editor BGF | Oct 20, 2024 | Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, News
In his final written message dated June 10, 2022, less than a month before his assassination, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient, articulated a strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific region. Abe emphasized the critical importance of maintaining a rules-based international order amid rising geopolitical tensions. He expressed concern over China’s increasing assertiveness, particularly regarding Taiwan, drawing parallels between China’s stance and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abe warned that any aggressive moves against Taiwan could destabilize the region and have global repercussions. He underscored the necessity for democratic nations to stand united in support of Taiwan’s security and autonomy to prevent potential conflicts. Abe advocated for stronger cooperation among like-minded countries to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. He highlighted initiatives such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)—comprising Japan, the United States, India, and Australia—as vital platforms for collaboration. These alliances aim to uphold shared values like freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. By fostering partnerships and encouraging open dialogue, Abe believed that nations could effectively counterbalance unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force. His vision called for proactive engagement to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains a region where sovereignty is respected, and international norms are upheld. Through this approach, Abe envisioned the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific—a region characterized by open seas, free trade, and the seamless movement of people, goods, and ideas, contributing to global peace and prosperity.
Boston Global Forum and Wilson Center co-conceived the Indo-Pacific Spark initiative from June 2024.
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/realizing-vision-of-free-and-open-indo-pacific-by-abe-shinzo-2022-09
by Editor BGF | Oct 20, 2024 | World Leader for Peace and Security, News, World Leaders in AIWS Award Updates
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient, has called for an exploration of “return hubs” outside the EU in a letter to the bloc’s national leaders on irregular migration, citing a deal between Italy and Albania as a possible model.
EU leaders are to meet on Thursday and Friday for a summit on migration as the commission has said it will propose new measures.
Irregular migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Europe last year numbered less than a third of the 1 million people arriving in 2015 but it remains a very sensitive topic, influencing elections in most European countries and increasing far-right voter sentiment.
Germany, wary of a public opinion backlash against irregular migration before elections next September, has introduced border controls with all its neighbours, suspending the freedom of the passport-free Schengen zone. France, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Italy and Slovenia have also introduced border checks.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/15/ursual-von-der-leyen-to-ask-eu-leaders-to-explore-using-return-hubs-for-migrants
