Boston-Madrid, September 9, 2021 — This week’s high-level online Policy Lab, sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum, explored ideas and strategies to arrive at an International Accord on AI and Digital Rights. The forum ended today with an urgent call to action for stakeholders to work toward an Accord that facilitates innovation while protecting rights in AI and Digital Societies.
The three-day CdM-BGF Policy Lab featured vibrant plenary sessions that facilitated discussions about concepts and issues facing policymakers around the globe as they negotiate frameworks for AI and Digital Societies. Many of the discussions highlighted the significant contributions contained in the new book, “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment” published by the UN Centennial Initiative.
On the final day, the Plenary VI session focused on The Social Contract for the AI Age as the standard for the AI International Accord and Global Alliance for Digital Governance. The session, entitled “Building safer, equitable and trustworthy AI and digital societies: The AI International Accord (AIIA)”, featured speakers including:
Facilitator:
William Hoffman, Head of Data-Driven Development, World Economic Forum
Lead Speaker:
Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, Director, MIT Connection Science and Human Dynamics labs, Co-author of the Social Contract for the AI Age
Speakers:
Zlatko Lagumdžija, Member of Club de Madrid, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001-2002), Distinguished Contributor to the book “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment”
Esko Aho, Member of Club de Madrid, Prime Minister of Finland (1991-1995)
Karine Caunes, Global Program Director, Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP)
Gregor Strojin, Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI)
Closing Remarks:
Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF), Director of the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation
María Elena Agüero, Secretary General of Club de Madrid (CdM)
Speakers agreed that the global community cannot wait for governments or international organizations to act. The Global Alliance for Digital Governance will take action to connect think tanks, influencers, experts, and citizens to contribute to building International Laws, International Accord on AI and Digital, while simultaneously working with governments and international organizations towards this goal.
Remaking the World takes a major step toward creating a “rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies,” says Nguyen Anh Tuan, who edited the book and serves as CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF). “We’re moving toward a framework, an ecosystem, a social contract for the AI age.” Tuan also directs the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
The 256-page book is made up of white papers, speeches, remarks, and other presentations at events held during the pandemic and sponsored or co-sponsored by BGF. Among the contributors are well known policy makers and innovators such as Ursula von de Leyen, President of the European Commission, Ashton Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Vint Cerf, “the father of the Internet” and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The opening chapter, authored by leading scholars and policy makers affiliated with the Boston-based group, proposes a “social contract,” or an agreement among members of global society to cooperate in the interests of social wellbeing. Just as TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, the Social Contract for AI Age is a platform for connection among governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions. One of many principles enunciated is that individuals have a right to both privacy and “access and control over their own data.”
Tuan added that Remaking the World, along with the Policy Lab, represents the first time that prominent international leaders are coming together to lay the groundwork for global AI accords. The book is currently in an electronic edition and will be available in print soon.
For more information, or to review video summaries of the Policy Lab, please visit: aidigitalrights.com
About the Boston Global Forum
The Boston Global Forum (BGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Centennial Initiative, released a major work entitled Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
More than twenty distinguished leaders, scholars, analysts, and thinkers put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges before us. These include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and European Parliament Member Eva Kaili.
The BGF introduced core concepts shaping path breaking international initiatives, notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, an AI International Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and AIWS City.
About the Club de Madrid
Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.
As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, it counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.
This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as, inclusion, sustainable development and peace at the national and multilateral level.
Links and Attachment:
Media kit for Policy Lab
Registration for Policy Lab
About the Boston Global Forum
Cover of Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment
Former President of Latvia, Leading Figures from Greece, Viet Nam, International Organizations Call Attention to Growing Need for Rights Accord
Boston-Madrid, September 7, 2021 — During this week’s high-level online Policy Lab to explore ideas and strategies to arrive at an International Accord on Digital Rights, sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum, the Plenary V session will focus on the upcoming United Nations’ Centennial Initiative and its role in helping to develop such an Accord. The session begins at 9 A.M. EST on Thursday September 9, as part of the three-day Policy Lab.
The UN Centennial Initiative was launched in 2019 by the United Nations Academic Impact in partnership with The Boston Global Forum. The Initiative hosts roundtable discussions, conferences, new concepts, solutions, think pieces, and reflections as we look ahead to the global landscape in 2045—the United Nations Centennial year. It’s mission is: Remaking the World: The Age of Global Enlightenment.
The core concepts of the UN Centennial Initiative include the idea of a social contract for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) age, a framework for an AI international accord, an ecosystem for the “AI World Society” (AIWS) and a community innovation economy.
Some of these ideas have already begun to be put into practice, including the evolution of an AIWS City being developed by NovaWorld in Phan Thiet, Viet Nam as a pilot project. AIWS City is a virtual digital city dedicated to promoting the values associated with AIWS. It looks to bring together a global enlightenment community of scholars, innovators, leaders, and citizens dedicated to fostering thought, creativity, and ethical behavior.
Mr. Tran Dinh Thien, Senior advisor to the Vietnamese Prime Minister, expressed his excitement to build NovaWorld Phan Thiet City into a leading healthcare and wellness tourism destination:
“Nova World Phan Thiet and AIWS City will become a model, representative of the standards and ambitions of the United Nations Centennial Initiative and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid.
Vietnam invites world leaders, ideologists, and innovators to Phan Thiet, to support the plan to build NovaWorld Phan Thiet City… We look forward to receiving unique ideas and suggestions to help Phan Thiet develop and become a leading ecosystem for a new economy, one for those looking to pioneer in the Age of Global Enlightenment, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the United Nations.”
Ramu Damodaran, Co-Chair of the United Nations Centennial Initiative, will be the lead speaker at the Plenary V session, scheduled for 9 AM EST. The panel will also feature:
● Former President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, a member of Club de Madrid;
● Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of State and Digital Governance of Greece, Chair of the Global Strategy Group, OECD
● Thomas Patterson, Research Director of The Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation, Professor of Government and the Press of Harvard Kennedy School
● Sean Cleary, Advisor of Club de Madrid, Executive vice-chair of the FutureWorld Foundation, Member of the Carnegie Council’s Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative’s Board of Advisors
● Tran Dinh Thien, Professor, Senior Advisor to Vietnamese Prime Minister
The Facilitator for the session will be David Silbersweig, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director for Institute for the Neurosciences, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University Professor.
The policymakers, including former presidents and prime ministers, will convene September 7-9 for a virtual “Policy Lab” co-sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum. In advance of the gathering, the Boston Global Forum has teamed up with United Nations Academic Impact to release Remaking the World: Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
Together with the upcoming Policy Lab, Remaking the World takes a major step toward creating a “rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies,” says Nguyen Anh Tuan, who edited the book and serves as CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF). “We’re moving toward a framework, an ecosystem, a social contract for the AI age.” Tuan also directs the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
The 256-page book is made up of white papers, speeches, remarks, and other presentations at events held during the pandemic and sponsored or co-sponsored by BGF. Among the contributors are well known policy makers and innovators such as Ashton Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Vint Cerf, “the father of the Internet” and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The opening chapter, authored by leading scholars and policy makers affiliated with the Boston-based group, proposes a “social contract,” or an agreement among members of global society to cooperate in the interests of social wellbeing. Just as TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, the Social Contract for AI Age is a platform for connection among governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions. One of many principles enunciated is that individuals have a right to both privacy and “access and control over their own data.”
Elsewhere in the book, political scientist Nazli Choucri of MIT articulates a framework for artificial intelligence international accords, including “the precautionary principle,” which aims not to impede innovation but to “explore the unknown with care and caution.” Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, discusses the need for an AI “ecosystem of trust.” This would include regulation not “for regulation’s sake,” but for the purpose of protecting basic rights, encouraging innovation, and spurring technological leadership. They are among 25 prominent contributors to the book.
Tuan added that Remaking the World, along with the Policy Lab, represents the first time that prominent international leaders are coming together to lay the groundwork for global AI accords. The book is currently in an electronic edition and will be available in print soon.
For more information, or to register to attend the Policy Lab September 7-9, please visit: aidigitalrights.com
About the Boston Global Forum
The Boston Global Forum (BGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Centennial Initiative, released a major work entitled Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
More than twenty distinguished leaders, scholars, analysts, and thinkers put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges before us. These include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and European Parliament Member Eva Kaili.
The BGF introduced core concepts shaping path breaking international initiatives, notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, an AI International Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and AIWS City.
About the Club de Madrid
Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.
As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, it counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.
This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as, inclusion, sustainable development and peace at the national and multilateral level.
Links and Attachment:
· Media kit for Policy Lab
· Registration for Policy Lab
· About the Boston Global Forum
· Cover of Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment
Leading policymakers from around the world explore promise and pitfalls of new technologies
Boston-Madrid, September 2, 2021. As leading policymakers from around the world prepare for a pivotal meeting on digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence, a first-of-its-kind book is drawing attention to the bold idea of establishing international accords to help guide the evolution of AI while safeguarding against potential abuses.
The policymakers, including former presidents and prime ministers, will convene September 7-9 for a virtual “Policy Lab” co-sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum. In advance of the gathering, the Boston Global Forum has teamed up with United Nations Academic Impact to release Remaking the World: Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
Together with the upcoming Policy Lab, Remaking the World takes a major step toward creating a “rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies,” says Nguyen Anh Tuan, who edited the book and serves as CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF). “We’re moving toward a framework, an ecosystem, a social contract for the AI age.” Tuan also directs the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
The 256-page book is made up of white papers, speeches, remarks, and other presentations at events held during the pandemic and sponsored or co-sponsored by BGF. Among the contributors are well-known policy makers and innovators such as Ashton Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Vint Cerf, “the father of the Internet” and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The opening chapter, authored by leading scholars and policy makers affiliated with the Boston-based group, proposes a “social contract,” or an agreement among members of global society to cooperate in the interests of social wellbeing. Just as TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, the Social Contract for AI Age is a platform for connection among governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions.
One of many principles enunciated is that individuals have a right to both privacy and “access and control over their own data.”
Elsewhere in the book, political scientist Nazli Choucri of MIT articulates a framework for artificial intelligence international accords, including “the precautionary principle,” which aims not to impede innovation but to “explore the unknown with care and caution.” Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, discusses the need for an AI “ecosystem of trust.” This would include regulation not “for regulation’s sake,” but for the purpose of protecting basic rights, encouraging innovation, and spurring technological leadership. They are among 25 prominent contributors to the book.
Tuan added that Remaking the World, along with the Policy Lab, represents the first time that prominent international leaders are coming together to lay the groundwork for global AI accords. The book is currently in an electronic edition and will be available in print soon.
– The Boston Global Forum (BGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Centennial Initiative, released a major work entitled Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment. More than twenty distinguished leaders, scholars, analysts, and thinkers put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges before us. These include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and European Parliament Member Eva Kaili. The BGF introduced core concepts shaping pathbreaking international initiatives, notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, an AI International Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and AIWS City.
About the Club de Madrid
– Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.
As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, it counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.
This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as, inclusion, sustainable development and peace at the national and multilateral level.
April 21, 2021 (Boston, Tokyo, Vietnam and Russia.)
Boston Global Forum Japan
China‘s attempt to alter the situation by the use of force should never be allowed.
The Senkaku Islands are without doubt an integral part of Japan in terms of history and under international law.
It is not permissible to take away the territory of another country just because they know the existence of oil under the East China Sea.
A 1969 UN survey announced the potential for abundant oil resources in the East China Sea, and only after the 1970s did China begin to claim the Senkaku Islands its territory for the first time in history. Until then, the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party had acknowledged that the Senkaku were Japan’s.
China’s revised Maritime Police Law went into effect on February 1, 2021, which violates international law, Chinese Maritime Police vessels have long harassed and surprisingly recently driven away Japanese fishing boats operating peacefully in Japan’s waters and now they are armed and permitted to use force.
Under the recent situation where freedom and democracy are challenged, it is very important that democratic countries unite and commit to world security and peace.
Opening Remarks: Mr. Tuan Anh Nguyen, CEO of BGF
Moderator: Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, Former Japanese Ambassador to the USA, President of Nakasone Peace Institute.
Speakers:
Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, State Minister of Defense. Former State Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Shunji Yanai, Judge of the ITLS, former Japanese Ambassador to the USA.
Prof. Nobukatsu Kanehara, Former Assistant Secretary to Prime Minister Abe, Former Diplomat.
4.Mr. Robert Eldridge,Ph.D. President of The Eldridge Think Tank, Former Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-7, Government of External Affairs,
Marine Corps Installations, Pacific Okinawa Japan, and former Associate Professor, Osaka University.
Audiences:
Professor Daniel Okimoto, Stanford University.
Mr. Thomas Vallely, Senior advisor, Harvard Kennedy School.
Professor Thomas Berger, Boston University
Mr. Tsuneo Watanabe, Sasagawa Peace Foundation, Adjunct Fellow of CSIS
Ambassador Seiichi Kondo, Former Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Former Ambassador of UNESCO, and others.
Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, State Minister of Defense; Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan.
-The official stand point of Japanese government is that the Senkaku Islands(“Senkaku”) are inherent territory of Japan in light of history and international law and thus there exists
no territorial dispute to be resolved;
– Japan has been exercising effective control over the Senkaku for more than 120 years;
-Year 1885: The Senkaku were investigated by Okinawa Prefecture, Japan;
-Year 1895: After careful examinations that they were uninhabited and not under control of any other states, the Senkaku were incorporated into Okinawa Prefecture, Japan by cabinet decision (“Japan’s Lawful Incorporation of the Senkaku”);
-Year 1920: The Senkaku were recognized as part of Japan in appreciation letter of Chinese consul of Nagasaki (“Recognition in Chinese Consul’s Letter in 1920”);
-Year 1951: The Senkaku were placed as Japanese territory to be administered by the United States in the San Francisco Peace Treaty (“Reaffirmation in the San Francisco Peace Treaty”);
-Year 1971: The Senkaku were indicated as a territory to be returned to Japan in the minutes of Okinawa Reversion Agreement between Japan and the United States (“Recognition in the Okinawa Reversion Agreement”);
-Year 1971: China and Taiwan officially claimed their sovereignty over the Senkaku fist time in history following the release of UN ECAFE Report in 1969 which stated potential existence of oil reserve in the vicinity of the Senkaku (“China’s First Claim after UN ECAFE Report”); and
-Year 2008: Against aforementioned backgrounds, continuous and expanding Chinese intrusions into the waters of the Senkaku began.
The State Minister also emphasized his concern over Chinese military expansion and that Chinese intrusion into the South and East China Sea could lead to their newly developed missile attack to the east coast of the United States, thereby pointing out that the issue is not only a bilateral territorial dispute but also a threat to world peace. He calls for the world’s attention on the issue as well as on other regional conflicts such as Honk Kong and Uighur, to think together and act together.
Mr. Shunji Yanai, Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLS); Former Japanese Ambassador to the United States.
Important 6 points of Japan’s position:
1.The grounds for Japan’s territorial sovereignty over the Senkaku pertaining to the Japan’s Lawful Incorporation of the Senkaku, the Reaffirmation in the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and the Recognition in the Okinawa Agreement;
2. Japan’s effective control over the Senkaku;
3.China’s recognition of Senkaku as part of Japanese territory pertaining to the facts that that Chinese government did not contest Japan’s sovereignty for approximately 75 years following the Lawful Incorporation of the Senkaku (which, however, changed suddenly after the UN ECAFE Report), and that even after the San Francisco Peace Treaty, the Senkaku continued to be treated as Japanese territory in Chinese maps and publications;
4.There has never been any agreement between Japan and China to shelve issues relating to the Senkaku;
5.Chinese claim of its sovereignty in relation to the descriptions in ancient Chinese document does not constitute legal grounds,
6. There are number of evidences that China recognized the Senkaku as part of Okinawa, Japan, which include the Recognition in Chinese Consul’s Letter in 1920, fact that the U.S. military used part of the Senkaku for firing/bombing ranges while the islands were under the administration of the United States, and Chinese Communist Party publications.
Mr. Nobukatsu Kanehara, Professor of Doshisha University, Japan; Former Assistant Secretary to Prime Minister Abe; Former Diplomat.
– Reaffirmation in San Francisco Peace Treaty about which neither Mao, Zhou nor Chiang Kai-Shek, had ever complained until oil was found in 1969;
– In 1972, Deng Xiaoping made his comment after the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda that they had agreed to “shelve the issue of the Senkaku to future generations”. But it’s a lie. The truth that can be found in an archive accessible on the internet is that Deng only said “There is an issue of the Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyo in Chinese. I don’t want to talk about it now. The next generation is likely to be savvier than us, they will probably be able to find some resolution to the issue.”, to which Fukuda remained silent. Thus, Japan regards that there has never been such an agreement to shelve issue of the Senkaku and thus there is no dispute to be solved;
– In 1978, just before the conclusion of the Japan-China Friendship and Peace Treaty, China sent 357 vessels to the territorial border of the Senkaku to warn and show that there was a dispute in the area. However, if China had agreed to shelve the issue, there is no need for them to take such an action; and
– Since 2012, Chinese intrusion of vessels into the waters of the islands has been expanding and the military tension is now so high. The United States expressed its stance that the Senkaku are covered by the article 5 of Japan-US Security Treaty.
Mr. Robert EldridgePh.D. President, The Eldridge Think Tank, Former Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-7, Government of External Affairs, Marine Corps Installations, Pacific Okinawa Japan, and former Associate Professor, Osaka University.
– Mr. Eldridge who specializes in Japanese territorial issues and Japan-US frictions,
presented American point of view and supported above discussions in reference to 4 points:
History (The Origins of U.S. Policy in the east China sea Islands Dispute.2014) including early exploration, development and settlement, incorporation into Japan and unimpeded administration through 1945;
2.The Senkaku and the San Francisco Peace Treaty (Origins of the Bilateral Okinawa Problem. 2001). Because of the effort made by the Japanese government, Japan was recognized as having “residual sovereignty” over the islands including the Senkaku;
The Senkaku and Okinawa’s Reversion (The Origins of U.S. Policy in the East China Sea Island Dispute. The Return of the Amami islands, 2004 and Iwo Jima and the Bonin Islands in U.S.-Japan Relations.); and
Facts against China’s claims. China’s claim violates the principle of estoppel in international law for the reasons of China’s First Claim in history (in 1971) after UN ECAFE Report (in 1969), the Chinese Consul’s Letter in 1920 and its prior official maps and publications that had acknowledged Japanese sovereignty.
Q&A session
After the speeches, the panel held a stimulating and revealing Q&As with distinguished worldwide intellectuals over the issues of: China’s unique expansion case other than the Senkaku; the Senkaku’s incorporation into Japanese territory in 1985; importance of QUAD alliance; possibility of military outbreak on the Senkaku, how to cope with Chinese expansionism; and whether or not Japan will resort to armed forces.
Today, July 1, 2021, the book “Remaking the World – The Age of Global Enlightenment” is officially delivered. This book is a collaboration between the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) as a part of the United Nations Centennial Initiative. The official announcement of the book was organized on May 27, 2021.
The book proposes pathways toward a more humane, peaceful, and secure world, largely by harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and other Digital Age technologies. A key proposal is the adoption of an AI International Accord that would bind nations to constructive uses of AI and prohibit destructive uses. The book proposes a Social Contract for the AI Age as the theoretical and ethical foundation of the Accord. The book also proposes the AI World Society (AIWS) as a vehicle through which individuals and civic organizations can help foster an Age of Global Enlightenment.
AIWS seeks to create an AIWS Ecosystem that empowers citizens to create value for themselves, for others, and for society through the application of artificial intelligence, digital, blockchain, and data science technologies. It is a sharing ecosystem that rewards both the creators and users of these technologies, as well as an ecosystem that encourages innovation. It breaks down the hierarchies that traditionally have created unequal power relationships, paving the way to a sharing society. It recognizes the value of every citizen, as well as every citizen’s creative potential.
Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Chair of Boston Global Forum, states that “the book is significant contribution of BGF and UNAI to shape peace, security, and prosperous world in the AI and Digital Age. Thank Editor Nguyen Anh Tuan for his excellent work for this book and the United Nations Centennial Initiative as well as AI World Society (AIWS).”
Ramu Damodaran, Chief of the United Nations Academic Impact and Co-Chair of the United Nations Centennial Initiative, said on the May 27, 2021, book launching event, “The United Nations Academic Impact is proud to join the Boston Global Forum in an initiative that looks to the 2045 centennial as an opportunity to reframe the possibilities inherent in the United Nations while remaining true to the power of its promise a century earlier.”
Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of Boston Global Forum and also a driving force in this initiative, expresses that “This path will require concerted action by governments, individuals, organizations, and firms. Each must be a source of innovation, and each must adhere to AIWS standards and values. Together, we can remake the world and usher in an Age of Global Enlightenment. I am grateful to the leaders and thinkers whose ideas inform the book. A special thank you is due to Ramu Damodaran for his support of the book project; Governor Michael Dukakis, who heads the Boston Global Forum and has inspired much of my work”.
Professor Alex Sandy Pentland, contributing two chapters of this book, said “Perhaps the main force driving the deployment of interledger technology is the need to repair the world’s tattered finances. This suggests that a new “Bretton Woods” multilateral effort is required, with the goal of establishing interfaces, methods, and exchange standards for digital transaction platforms.”
Distinguished contributors to the book include:
Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan
Ash Carter, Former US Secretary of Defense
Vint Cerf, “Father of the Internet”, Google
Nazli Choucri, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Ramu Damodaran, Chief of United Nations Academic Impact
Michael Dukakis, Former Governor of Massachusetts, Chair, Boston Global Forum
Eva Kaili, Member of the European Parliament
Robin Kelly, U.S. Representative (Illinois),
Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General
Didzis Kļaviņš, University of Latvia
Taro Kono, Defense Minister, Japan
Zlatko Lagumdzija, Former Prime Minister, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Ambassador to the United States
Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Commission
Yasuhide Nakayama, Defense State Minister, Japan
Paul Nemitz, Principal Advisor, European Commission
Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO, Boston Global Forum
Andreas Norlén, Speaker, Swedish Parliament
Joseph Nye, Harvard University
Zaneta Ozolina, University of Latvia, Co-Chair of Riga Conference
Thomas Patterson, Harvard University
Judea Pearl, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP, UK Parliament
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, Former President of Latvia
TheUnited Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is an initiative of the United Nations that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution.
Since 2010, UNAI has created a vibrant and diverse network of students, academics, scientists, researchers, think tanks, institutions of higher education, continuing education and educational associations. There are over 1400 member institutions in more than 147 countries that reach over 25 million people in the education and research sectors around the world representing a global diversity of regions and a thematic wealth of disciplines.
TheBoston Global Forum (BGF) Boston Global Forum (BGF), based in Boston, Massachusetts, was founded to bring together thought leaders and experts from around the globe to participate in open public forums to discuss and solve the most critical issues affecting the world. BGF counts on the important engagement of political leaders, innovators, and top academics from Harvard, MIT and AIWS.net in the development of its work. Some of its most significant Initiatives are the Social Contract for the AI Age, the AIWS City (AIWS.city), and the AI Social Contract Index.
The United Nations Centennial Initiative is an initiative of United Nations Academic Impact that belongs to the United Nations with collaboration by the Boston Global Forum.
The United Nations Centennial include roundtables, ideas, concepts, solutions, essays, and reflections looking ahead to the global landscape in 2045, when the United Nations completes its first centenary, in areas of these technologies, including artificial intelligence, cyber security and weapons systems, among others. Such a compilation which looks both to the horizon ahead and the role of the United Nations in making it beneficial and secure, would be timely.
CONTACTS
Editors and Reporters please contact Mr. Tuan Anh Nguyen, Editor of the book “Remaking the World – The Age of Global Enlightenment”, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Boston Global Forum: [email protected], Tel., Viber, Whatsapp: +1 617 286 6589
8:30 am: Opening Remarks by Mr. Ramu Damodaran, Chief, United Nations Academic Impact
Remarks by Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Chair, Boston Global Forum
Speech by Professor Alex Sandy Pentland, MIT, “Our Digital Future: from the Internet to the Interledger” and “The Cycle of Prosperity: Ensuring Equal Opportunity”
Speech by Professor Nazli Choucri, MIT, “Framework for the AI International Accord”
Speech by Former Bosnia-Herzegovina Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija
“Artificial Intelligence World Society from an initiative to a doctrine and model remaking the world – the Age of Global Enlightenment”
Speech by Professor Thomas Patterson, Harvard University
On April 28, 2021, Boston Global Forum hosted the AIWS Award and AI International Accord Roundtable where Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis was awarded the 2021 World Leader in AI World Society (AIWS) and joined with fellow leaders in innovation to discuss the future of AI as we emerge into the Age of Digital and AI. This roundtable follows after Governor Michael Dukakis’ call in 2018 for an international accord on Artificial Intelligence in 2018.
Chaired by Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Boston Global Forum, and Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of the Boston Global Forum, this discussion addressed the relevance of AI in world society as it impacts our fundamental human rights today. With the increasing adoption of AI globally, our rights to privacy, dignity, and freedom are all at stake.
Our speakers brought notable dialogue to the discussions:
Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis: “It is our aspiration to create machine that are able to do more and more of our own thinking, selections and decision making. And if that’s our aspiration, we must also take care to ensure that those machines do not make the same mistakes that we humans have been prone to make”.
Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis raised that “Exploring a social contract for the AI Age, a Framework to ensure an AI ‘Bill of Rights’ in the digital age, is fundamental in international relations today. And in this work, our relationship with the United States is paramount.”
Nazli Choucri presented the Framework for AI International Accord: “As we move on, it’s our responsibility to leave some kind of regulatory framework before the younger generation that has not had the cold war experience, the World War I, the World War II, etc. experience. If we can just organize for them a framing of discourse, it would be a major contribution. That would be considered our generation’s contribution.”
P.S. Raghavan stated that Framework for AI International Accord was: “An excellent comprehensive paper which captures the intricacies of the issues and also the breath of the challenges”
Magnus Magnusson: “Diversity must be integrated in every single step of the AI lifecycle; from creation of algorithms to the collection of data, down to the numerous applications of AI in every aspect in today’s society: healthcare, education, transportation and so forth. This is the only way to ensure all voices will contribute to the development towards policies and frameworks for AI”
Paul Nemitz: “We should be ambitious in our work and see in terms of what we aim for.”
Conversations expressed the need for an AI International Accords to support this new reality of AI as well as facilitate international cooperation regarding this innovative development.
Speakers in the talks included:
Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States
Stratos Efthymiou, Consul General of Greece in Boston
Ambassador P.S Raghavan, Former Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board, India
Nazli Choucri, Professor at MIT, AIWS City’s Board of Leaders
Magnus Magnusson, UNESCO Director for Partnerships and Outreach
Paul Nemitz, Principal Advisor of European Commission
The AIWS Award and AI International Accord Roundtable provided great insight into AI governance and discussions will be considered in further conversations on the AI International Accords, which is part of AI World Society (AIWS). AIWS is a doctrine and model for remaking the world towards the Age of Global Enlightenment.
Dear Governor Dukakis, Dear Tuan Nguyen and Mark Rotenberg, Distinguished Members of the AIWS Committee, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for this distinction, which I accept with gratitude and humility. I am especially moved to receive it in the presence of Governor Dukakis, who not only epitomizes public service and leadership in this country, but has also been a source of great pride in his ancestral one. Σας ευχαριστώ για τη μεγάλη τιμή που μου κάνετε, thank you for this high honor!
Introduction
Ambassadors, as is well known, are asked to speak about many topics for which they are not experts themselves. But in fact, Artificial Intelligence and human rights in the digital age are two topics that I have followed closely for a long time. They are a large portion of my current work as European Union Ambassador to the United States, and long before that, I followed these issues closely as a Greek Member of the European Parliament. While Vice President of the Parliament’s civil liberties committee, I wrote the very first report on security and privacy in the digital age, exactly 11 years ago, when the topic was hardly as popular as it is today.
Perhaps my personal experience of growing up under a dictatorship in Greece endowed me with an acute awareness of the fragility of our open and free societies. As a child, I saw first-hand that even strong democracies can fall under authoritarian spells. I remember the dictatorship holding “files” on different citizens (including my parents), with personal information revealing their political activities and preferences, to be used against them, or to scare them into submission or complacency.
Perhaps this explains best why, when I look at the promise but also the challenges posed by digital technologies, I have always been guided by two fundamental principles, in politics and now diplomacy:
First – in real democracies, it is the people who should have the power to judge the thoughts and actions of their governments, and to hold governments and companies to account; not governments or companies who are supposed to observe and judge the daily actions or thoughts of their citizens. If the unrestrained use of technology leads to the latter instead of the former, we will have flipped Democracy on its head.
Second — In today’s democracies, a “Big Brother” will materialize slowly and by stealth, not suddenly in the form of an authoritarian figure who takes away our rights in one fell swoop. If it happens, it will be gradual, by a thousand cuts, with our own explicit or tacit “consent,” with our complacency.
In the mid 2000’s, an example that illustrated the conundrum was the unfolding mass use of cameras in the streets. What should be their proper use? For regulating traffic? Sounds reasonable. Protecting us from terrorist attacks? Sounds reasonable too. But given that by their very nature they could be used on a 24-hour basis for many more things – identifying all participants at a protest in case just a few of them turned violent? Catching a pickpocket, in addition to a terrorist? – the question quickly became, “Where do democracies draw the line for the use of technology to avoid dangerous slippery slopes? What is necessary, appropriate and proportionate usage? Who should have access to the data and who should not? Where should such personal data be stored in order to be kept safe, and when should it be permanently deleted?” And, soon thereafter, similar questions started to be raised on the collection and use of citizens’ personal data by major private companies and digital platforms as well.
The argument used by some governments and businesses at the time, the one that most troubled me, was: “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” It troubled me, because it in essence encouraged the “innocent” to offer their consent to their very own unfettered surveillance, in the name of catching the few “guilty.” If successful, it could indeed lead to the gradual and irreversible salami-slicing of our rights, “with our consent.”
So what I would answer to that posed pseudo-dilemma was, “If you have nothing to hide, you don’t have a life!” Because in fact, we all have thousands of elements of our private transactions, relationships, histories, or beliefs, all perfectly legal, that we do not wish others to have unrestricted access to.
That was then. The reality today is that we are all thinking about technology, innovation, and privacy quite differently than we did a few years ago.
We’ve seen — and are seeing more every day— that Americans want baseline privacy protections, that the status quo isn’t good enough, and that the time is ripe for new actions to improve citizens’ rights and trust in technology.
In Europe, we have always been forward leaning when it comes to the protection of privacy – perhaps for historic reasons – and withstood significant criticism for pioneering it in the beginning, not least of all with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Without a doubt, we are a better and stronger Union today for the privacy safeguards we have in place. And we are now committed to seeing that our privacy protection also safeguards innovation and competition. Our economies and societies need both.
Artificial Intelligence
Whether you call it AI or machine learning, both – in the broadest sense – represent change. Change makes many of us uncomfortable, because it creates a new reality, something different from what we have come to know. It is easy to fear the unknown.
I will not lecture you on the textile revolution, the industrial revolution, or the introduction of the automobile. They represented massive shifts in our technological progress, and the economic benefits as well as the social upheaval that accompanied them are well-documented.
Artificial Intelligence is different, more complex and far-reaching. In creating a tool that can make judgements – that can decide for us between multiple alternatives – we have introduced a new form of change into our daily lives. It is, if you like, change “to the nth power,” scaling exponentially in a way we have not yet experienced.
As policymakers, citizens and consumers – even as ordinary human beings – we must ask ourselves: Who do we want to make the rules for tools that are becoming increasingly embedded, invisibly, in the fabric of our society? How do we ensure that the AI embedded in the cars we drive, the buildings we use, the energy we consume, the health services we receive, the messages we send, the news we read, even in the refrigerators we use – is safe, controllable, unbiased, and trustworthy? That AI does not discriminate, is not used to “observe and judge,” or to impinge on our universal human rights?
In the final analysis, how do we ensure that AI technologies enhance and protect our freedoms, our well-being, and our democracies rather than diminish them?
Europe balance between Innovation and Fundamental Rights
In Europe, we believe that there is a clear interrelation between Innovation and Fundamental Rights – that one can promote the other.
We value, champion, and thrive from innovation. Last year, as the deadly COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly across the globe, AI demonstrated its potential to aid humanity by helping to predict the geographical spread of the disease, diagnose the infection through computed tomography scans, and develop the first vaccines and drugs against the virus.
European companies and innovators have been at the forefront in every aspect of that effort. The winner of last year’s Future Unicorn Award, presented annually by the European Union to start-ups with the greatest potential, was awarded to a Danish company, Corti, which uses AI and voice recognition to help doctors predict heart attacks.
Clearly, the possibilities and opportunities for AI are immense – from turning on wind turbines to produce the clean energy for our green transition, to detecting cyber-attacks faster than any human being, or cancer in mammograms earlier and more reliably than trained doctors. We hope that AI will even help us to detect the next infectious outbreak, before it becomes a deadly pandemic.
We want AI to do all of these great things.
At the same time, just as in every technological evolution that has come before it, we must prepare for the unexpected. With the increasing adoption of AI, our rights to privacy, dignity, freedom, equality, and justice are all at stake. These are fundamental to our lives as Europeans, and enshrined in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.
If it is our aspiration to create machines that are able to do more and more of our thinking, selections and decision-making, we must also take care to ensure they do not make the same mistakes that we humans have been prone to make. Let me offer two examples to illustrate the point:
First – the use of facial, voice, and movement recognition systems in public places can help make our lives more secure. However, it can also allow governments to engage in mass surveillance, intimidation, and repression, as China has shown, in the most cynical and calculated way, in Xingiang.
Second – the use of AI in recruitment decisions can be helpful. However, if a computer compares resumes of senior managers and concludes that being male is a good predictor of success, the data simply reflects bias – a bias within our society, which historically has favored men for leadership positions. We do not want AI to reinforce existing biases by copying and infinitely replicating them.
These are just two examples that illustrate why we must not become bystanders to the development and deployment of AI. If we, the major world democracies, do not move to establish a regulatory framework, if we do not move fast, smart and strategically to build alliances and set standards for human-centric, trustworthy, and human rights-respecting AI with countries big and small from all over the world, I dread to think who might.
EU Proposal for AI
In Europe, we have been thinking about these questions for many years now. We see that technology is an inescapable, necessary and desirable part of our future. But without trust in it, our progress as a society will simply not be sustainable.
Wearing both my Ambassador and European citizen hats, I am immensely proud that the European Commission has just presented a ground-breaking proposal for a regulatory framework on AI. It is the first proposal of its kind in the world and it builds on years of work, analysis and consultation with citizens, academics, social partners, NGOs, businesses (including U.S. businesses), and EU Member states.
It is not a regulation for regulation’s sake. It responds to calls for a comprehensive approach across the European Union to protect basic rights, encourage innovation consistent with our values, provide legal certainty to innovative companies, spur technological leadership, and prevent the fragmentation of our single market.
In terms of the scope, the draft regulation is actually quite limited. It will introduce a simple classification system with four levels of risk – unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal.
“Unacceptable” and thus prohibited AI practices are those which deploy subliminal techniques beyond a human’s consciousness, such as toys or equipment using voice assistance that could lead to dangerous behavior, or the exploitation of the vulnerabilities of specific groups of persons due to their age, physical, or mental disability. Real-time remote biometric identification systems used in public spaces are also classified as an “unacceptable risk” – with extremely narrow exceptions when strictly necessary. As are “social scoring” practices, where governments “score” their citizens as opposed to the other way around.
When enacted, the regulation will also set binding requirements for a small fraction of so-called “high-risk” uses of AI, like credit scoring, sorting software for recruitment, verification of travel documents, robot assisted surgery, the management of critical infrastructure (e.g. electricity), or when an AI assists a judicial authority, to name a few practical examples.
The binding requirements ensure that in such cases, high-quality data sets are used, risks are adequately managed, documentation and logs are kept, and human oversight is provided for – in order to ensure the AI systems are robust, secure and accurate.
In the end of the day, the purpose of the regulation is two-fold: (a) to ensure that Europeans can trust what AI has to offer and embrace AI-based solutions with confidence they are safe, while (b) to encourage innovation to develop in an ecosystem of trust. As the European Commission’s Executive Vice President Vestager put it recently: “Trust is a must, not a ‘nice to have.’”
As was the case with the General Data Protection Regulation, the Commission’s AI proposal will be subject to legislative scrutiny before it can become law in all EU countries.
Transatlantic and Multilateral Context
Without a doubt, it will also be a topic of some debate here in the United States, as well. And the European Union looks forward to these discussions with our like-minded partners.
This is because, on the global stage, AI has become an area of strategic importance, at the crossroads of geopolitics and security. Having taken this pioneering step, the EU will work to deepen partnerships, coalitions and alliances with third countries and with likeminded partners to promote trustworthy, ethical AI. Exploring a Social Contract for the AI Age – a framework to ensure an AI “Bill of Rights” in the digital age – is fundamental in international relations today.
And in this work, our relationship with the United States is paramount. For Europe and the United States in particular, our shared values make us natural partners in the face of rival systems of digital governance. Together, we must rise to the occasion.
That is why President Ursula von der Leyen called for a Trans-Atlantic Agreement on AI that protects human dignity, individual rights and democratic principles, to also serve as a “blueprint” for broader global outreach.
My hope is that Europe and the United States will work more closely together, continuously and at all levels – with engineers, policymakers, thought leaders, civil society, scientists, and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic – to guide our technological progress and help us improve, evolve, and become more just, equitable, and free societies. To help us ensure that AI enhances the human condition and experience for all mankind.
And I rely on all AI students and researchers, innovators, policymakers, and business leaders listening in today, to help us turn this aspiration into our new reality.
We have a window of opportunity to act – and we should do so. During my time as EU Ambassador to the United States, I will do all in my power to bring it about.
Once again, please accept my warm gratitude and appreciation for this award.
I am pleased to announce that this year’s recipient of the Boston Global Forum’s World Leader in AI World Society is Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Union’s ambassador to the United States.
Born in Athens and educated in the United States at Amherst College and then at Yale law school, his entry into public life also took place here, when his law firm advised the White House during the Carter and Clinton administrations. And it was during this period that he served as president of the Committee for Human Rights for the D.C. Bar.
Ambassador Lambrinidis returned to Greece in 1994, serving as a special advisor to George Papandreou, who would later become Greek’s prime minister. He served in several posts before being elected to the European Parliament in 2004 – the first of two such elections. Five years later, he was chosen vice president of the European Parliament and then became the EU’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, which was followed in 2011 by his appointment as Greece’s Foreign Minister. He then served as the European Union’s first Special Representative for Human Rights before becoming the EU Ambassador to the United States.
Throughout his career, Ambassador Lambrinidis has been a tireless advocate of human rights, economic development and equality, and European and international cooperation.
For more than a decade, he has been a leading voice on data privacy issues, transatlantic collaboration on the digital economy, and enlightened application of Artificial Intelligence. In that context, Ambassador Lambrinidis has said: “As the development and deployment of artificial intelligence advances, my hope is that Europe and the United States will work more closely together, continuously and at all levels, to guide our technological progress in a way that is consistent with our shared values. Together with like-minded partners around the world, we must ensure that AI enhances the human condition and experience for all mankind. Without trust – without keeping humanity at the center of our technological advancements—our progress as an increasingly technologically dependent society will not be sustainable.”
Again, it’s my deep honor and pleasure to recognize Stavros Lambrinidis as this year’s recipient of the Boston Global Forum’s World Leader in AI World Society award.
