by Editor | Jun 23, 2024 | News
Pope Francis’ Speech at the G7 Summit 2024
On June 14, 2024, Pope Francis delivered a profoundly impactful speech at the G7 Summit, addressing the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence (AI). His Holiness emphasized that AI is neither objective nor neutral, highlighting the necessity for ethical principles and human values to guide AI development. This call to action for world leaders underscored the responsibility of ensuring that AI technologies are used to enhance human well-being, promote justice, and create a more compassionate world. Pope Francis’ address resonated deeply, reinforcing the moral imperative for global cooperation in AI governance to safeguard the dignity and rights of all individuals.
Nguyen Anh Tuan’s Speech at the 2024 Inter-religious Conference
On June 1, 2024, at the Inter-religious Conference held at Centro Mariapoli in Castelgandolfo, Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of the Boston Global Forum, delivered an insightful speech on the “Knowledge Platform for AI and Ensuring Equality of Opportunity in AI.” Tuan emphasized the integration of spiritual values into AI development, advocating for a robust framework that ensures fairness and inclusivity in the Age of AI. He highlighted the critical role of data, information, and knowledge as foundational elements for building ethical AI systems. Tuan’s vision for the AIWS model, initiated by the Boston Global Forum, focuses on creating a safe, prosperous, and equitable world through the responsible use of AI. His speech called for a united effort to develop transparent and ethical AI practices, ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared universally and contribute to AI, new democracy, and humanity.
Reflection
Both speeches underscore a common theme: the imperative of ethical governance in AI development. Pope Francis and Nguyen Anh Tuan each highlight the necessity of embedding human values into AI systems to ensure that these technologies serve the greater good. Their calls for international cooperation and ethical standards reflect a shared vision of a future where AI contributes to a just, inclusive, and peaceful world. As we move forward in the Age of AI, the insights and principles articulated by these leaders provide a vital roadmap for harnessing AI’s potential to enhance human dignity and promote universal well-being.
by Editor | Jun 21, 2024 | News
For Immediate Release
Boston Global Forum and The Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition of the Wilson Center Announce Partnership to Research Strategies for Enhancing Relations between US-Japan-India and Vietnam
Boston, MA – Washington DC, June 21, 2024 – The Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition (WISC) of the Wilson Center are pleased to announce a new partnership aimed at researching and developing strategies to enhance economic and political relations between the United States, Japan, India, and Vietnam. This collaboration, known as the Indo-Pacific Spark Initiative, seeks to strengthen technology, trade, infrastructure, and energy ties, reinforcing American economic and global leadership for the benefit of the nation and the world.
The Wilson Center, established by the United States Congress over 50 years ago, was created to provide fact-based and objective analysis and offer a forum for meaningful discussion between the public, private, and academic sectors. As stated by Wilson Center President, Ambassador Mark Green, “the mission of the Wilson Center is not only timely, but it is also timeless.” In today’s increasingly partisan political climate, the need for factual and unbiased information is more critical than ever.
Supported by a diverse community of private and public sector partners, the Wilson Center’s regional and topical programs address the most pressing global issues. WISC works to shape conversations and inspire meaningful action to bolster technology, trade, infrastructure, and energy, ensuring America’s and its allies’ leadership in securing a rules-based international order.
The Indo-Pacific Spark Initiative between WISC and BGF will focus on areas of mutual interest, particularly opportunities for Vietnam to enhance its economic and political relations with Japan, India, the EU, and the United States. This initiative aligns with WISC’s mission to inform conversations and inspire actions that strengthen the foundational elements necessary for America and its allies.
“Our partnership with the Boston Global Forum will bolster WISC’s focus on strengthening relations among America’s allies and partners in Asia” said the Hon. Mark Kennedy, Director of The Wilson Center’s Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition. “We look forward to exploring mutually beneficial policies to enhance economic development, sustainability, supply chain resilience and security.”
WISC is honored to partner with the BGF and its Co-Founder and CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan. As part of this collaboration, Mr. Tuan will join the distinguished members of the WISC Steering Committee, and Mr. Kennedy will join the members of the BGF Board of Thinkers. Together, BGF and WISC will establish a joint team to execute and implement this partnership, set to run from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.
“We are excited about this partnership with the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition,” said Mr. Tuan. “This collaboration will provide a robust platform for developing strategic initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Spark Initiative that enhance relationships between key global players, fostering economic and political growth.”
—–
For more information, please contact:
Mark Kennedy
Director
The Wilson Center’s Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition
[email protected]
+1 202 691-4201
Nguyen Anh Tuan
Co-founder and CEO
Boston Global Forum
[email protected]
+1 617 286 6589
by Editor | Jun 17, 2024 | News
Last week, leaders of the Four Pillars met for the G7 Leaders’ Summit 2024 in Bari, Italy and also for Ukraine’s peace talks hosted in Switzerland. Most of the Four Pillars, or member-states that make up a Pillar, are parts of the G7 – the US, Japan, and the European states and the EU itself. India was also present as a key and growing state for cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.
Affirming their support for Ukraine, the US, a Pillar, announced a security agreement with Kyiv, expanding commitments and aid. Additionally, G7 leaders have agreed to use frozen Russian assets for Ukrainian aid – for $50 billion. Although this proposal was floated last year and even in 2022, there was no real will to enact it until now. It may be a year too late for this to come to fruition, but better late than never.
In Switzerland, even though the peace talks may be political theater for now – Russia is not attending and China has been undermining these efforts – it showed that the Pillars and Ukraine are still open to peaceful resolutions, but one that still respects Ukraine’s sovereignty.
While leaders of the Four Pillars meet and discuss these issues, let us remember what happens on the other side:
It is doubly vital that the Four Pillars (and by extension, organizations like NATO and G7) continue to work together to contain these threats to the rules-based and liberal-democratic order.
Alex Brandon / AP
Minh Nguyen is the Chief Editor of the Boston Global Forum and a Shinzo Abe Initiative Fellow. She writes the Four Pillars column in the BGF Weekly newsletter.
by Editor | Jun 17, 2024 | Event Updates, News
While there has been much discussion around the responsible development and deployment of AI, how these responsibilities arise and apply to specific roles in business is less discussed. The Directors’ AI Ethics Forum aims to address this gap for corporate board members, bringing together a select group of leaders committed to advancing AI initiatives with integrity and responsibility. Participants will convene at Harvard Business School to discuss the critical intersection of AI opportunity, governance, and ethics. This Forum will explore key ethical issues related to the advancement of AI capabilities across various business sectors and aims to develop practical approaches to address the ethical issues that arise for corporate directors.
Attendees will participate in sessions led by Harvard professors, researchers, and other scholars, engaging in this important dialogue to share valuable experiences and gain insights from peers and industry experts.
This event is co-sponsored by Harvard Business School, the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, and the GETTING Plurality Research Network of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation.
Boston Global Forum contributes the Paper “Business Leaders to Build “The Knowledge Platform for AI and Ensure Equality of Opportunity in AI” to the AI Ethics Forum. Jeff Saviano, a BGF Executive Board member, is a key of organizers of the Forum.
DIRECTORS’ AI ETHICS FORUM
8:00 – 8:30 AM DAY 1 – JUNE 1 7, 2024
MEREDITH ROOM | SPANGLER CENTER | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
8:30 – 9:15 AM Check In & Continental Breakfast Welcome, Introductions, Framing the Forum
AGENDA
5:00 – 5:45 PM Arrival & Registration
5:45 – 6:30 PM Cocktail Reception
6:30 – 8:30 PM Dinner & Opening Remarks
DAY 2 – JUNE 18, 2024
HAWES HALL | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
Discuss Forum objectives and the importance of corporate board oversight of its AI program: Why should companies pursue an ethics-based approach to AI governance?
9:15 – 10:30 AM AI: Foundations, Opportunities & Risks
Review the evolution of AI, the creation of new AI opportunities, AI risks to business and society at large, and emerging ethical AI principles.
10:30 – 10:45 AM Break
10:45 – 11:45 AM Practical Frameworks for AI Governance
Review current strategies addressing responsible AI governance, advance a practical AI ethics framework, and ground AI governance in the ‘stakeholder capitalism’ framework.
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Legal & Regulatory Landscapes
Review board oversight standard articulated by the 1996 Caremark decision and its progeny, and extend this oversight standard to AI governance, and survey global developments.
12:45 – 2:00 PM Lunch & Lightning Talks
2:00 – 2:45 PM Extended Ethical Practices
Advance AI ethical practices and frameworks that yield benefit for both society and the business sector.
2:45 – 3:30 PM Forum Closing & Next Steps
Identify key takeaways from the Forum and discuss opportunities to advance the field of practical AI ethics for corporate boards and management teams.
Jeff Saviano, BGF Board Member
by Editor | Jun 17, 2024 | Global Alliance for Digital Governance
On June 1, 2024, the International Inter-religious Conference at the Vatican marked a historic milestone with the groundbreaking ideas presented by Boston Global Forum (BGF) CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan. During the panel titled “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Interpersonal Relationships and Between Religions,” Tuan called upon all participants of the conference, leaders of religions, distinguished thinkers, innovators, and companies to join in taking action for equality of opportunities in AI.
In his address, Nguyen Anh Tuan emphasized the crucial role of interfaith and interreligious cooperation in bring their spiritual values to build the Knowledge Platform for AI and announced that the Boston Global Forum would collaborate with religious leaders to ensure equality of opportunity for every person, company, country, and religion in AI. This initiative aims to foster a new democracy, happiness, and safety for humanity.
Pope Francis delivered a welcome speech to participants of the conference on June 3, 2024, at the Clementine Hall, Vatican.
On Friday afternoon June 14, 2024, Pope Francis addressed the G7 leaders’ summit in Puglia, Italy.
He is the first Pope to ever address the forum, which brings together the leaders of the US, UK, Italy, France, Canada, Germany, and Japan.
The ’techno-human condition’
Noting that AI is “above all a tool”, the Pope spoke of what he called the “techno-human condition”.
He explained that he was referring to the fact that humans’ relationship with the environment has always been mediated by the tools that they have produced.
Some, the Pope said, see this as a weakness, or a deficiency; however, he argued, it is in fact something positive. It stems, he said, from the fact that we are beings “inclined to what lies outside of us”, beings “radically open to the beyond.”
This openness, Pope Francis said, is both the root of our “techno-human condition” and the root of our openness to others and to God, as well as the root of our artistic and intellectual creativity.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-06/pope-g7-artifical-intelligence-objective-neutral.html
