by Editor | Oct 14, 2019 | News
Dear AI World Society Young Leaders,
On behalf of the Boston Global Forum, Nguyen Anh Tuan and I wish to express our most sincere gratitude to all the remarkable young leaders in the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam who recently participated in the work of the AI World Society (AIWS).
Thank you for your time, your thoughtful engagement, your sincere enthusiasm, and your contributions to the ongoing work of the AIWS Initiative. You are making a difference in the world.
With the development of AIWS Social Contract 2020, we are off to a very impressive start. But we still have a big job ahead of us to set right the fractious and fragile world you are inheriting. Now is the time to do the hard work of shaping the future you will live in.
Over the coming years we hope to see our AIWS Young Leaders grow as an issue-driven, action-oriented organization. We hope to see it evolve to become a globally recognized network of dedicated and highly informed young people, striving together for a more peaceful, more secure, more prosperous and more democratic world.
To help us make that happen, the Boston Global Forum and the AIWS encourage you to reach out to your friends to share your thoughts about the issues embedded in AIWS Social Contract 2020 and invite other like-minded young people to join you and to share their own concerns at future Boston Global Forum events, as we seek to implement the concepts laid out in AIWS Social Contract 2020.
You are the future. You deserve a voice in shaping it now.
by Editor | Oct 14, 2019 | News
The Boston Global Forum, of which I’m the co-founder and CEO, sees a need for a new social contract, one that is suited to a world of artificial intelligence, big data, and high-speed computation and that will protect the rights and interests of citizens individually and society generally.
Social contract theory has a long history, predating even the writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.
A central question of a social contract is the rules and power arrangements that a rational person would be willing to accept not knowing in advance their position in society – whether they’ll be among the many people subject to the coercive force of power or be one of the few exercising that power.
The idea of a social contract informed the constitutions of the world’s democracies. The principle of the rule of law; the idea that the power of government should be divided between branches of government in order to protect against abuses of power; the provision of individual rights, such as freedom of expression and the right to due process if charged with a crime – all of these developments flowed from the idea of a social contract.
Over time, the social contract placed positive obligations on government – actions that government had to take in order to promote the welfare of people and society.
The United States in the early 19th century pioneered universal public education – government’s obligation to provide children with free schooling. Europe later took the lead in providing universal health care. Income security was also part of the social contract in the form of policies such as the minimum wage, unemployment compensation, and social security for retirees.
These aspects of the social contract emerged in response to the demands of the Industrial Age. We now need to update the social contract to fit the conditions – including the threats and opportunities – of the Digital Age.
The Digital Age has the promise of empowering citizens, but it also could empower governments and private entities in ways harmful to the interests of citizens and society generally. Examples of the threat are already evident, for instance, in China, the use of facial recognition software as a means of political control, and in the use of personal data by Facebook, Google, and other platforms to influence our buying habits.
A new social contract is needed to blunt such developments and encourage beneficial ones.
The Boston Global Forum has developed a set of principles and guidelines that could inform the creation of a social contract for the Digital Age. We are calling it the AI World Society Social Contract 2020
We see five centers of power and responsibility that need to be taken into account in the social contract: government, citizens, firms, civil society organization, and AI assistants. In the US, where the Government has branches, the Executive, Legislative and Judicial, we foresee the emergence of seven centers of power.
And we see a need for a social contract that places a priority on transparency, privacy, and the empowerment of citizens as opposed to government.
In terms of government, we believe: Governments should create laws that promote transparency and accountability in data usage, both by government and private parties. Governments should facilitate and require independent audits of automated decision systems to ensure their compliance with laws and standards. Governments should create laws and monitoring systems to ensure that AI systems and assistants are serving the public interest. Governments should create systems that enable citizens and civil society organizations to have greater control over their personal data and its use.
The social contract would also serve to enhance the freedom, dignity, and aspirations of citizens. All citizens should have access to a device that connects them to the digital world. Citizens should be protected in their rights, including the right to privacy, and be protected from cyberattack. Citizens should, to the degree possible, have ownership of their personal data. Citizens should, through digital systems, have an stronger voice in the political decisions that affect them. Citizens should have access to education pertaining to the use and impact of AI.
The social contract would also involve obligations on, and protections for, business firms. They would have rights and responsibilities and would be accountable for their actions through audits and other mechanisms. They would be subject to limits on data ownership, and face penalties for violating those limits.
The Boston Global Forum also sees a need in the social contract to address the role of civil society organizations. They would have rights and responsibilities, and would have a defined role in monitoring government and firms for compliance with their obligations. They also would be responsible in their own work for adhering to norms, standards, and laws, and face penalties for violating them.
Finally, we see a need in the social contract to address the status of robots, automated systems, and other AI assistants. They are a source of power in their own right and need to be regulated. The creation of AI assistants should comply with preset standards, norms, and laws, and they would need to be created in ways that allow a determination of whether these restrictions have been met. AI assistants should include ones that are specifically designed to monitor and control the use of AI so that it serves the interests of citizens and of society more broadly.
Over the course of the next year, 2020, the Boston Global Forum will be working to draft a Social Contract as AI World Society Social Contract 2020 consistent with what I’ve just outlined and that is responsive to the ideas that we receive from others.
A fundamental assumption of the social contract is that the five centers of power – government, citizens, business firms, civil society organizations, and AI assistants = are interconnected and each needs to check and balance the power of the others.
We welcome your participation in this effort. We believe that there is a compelling need for a social contract suited to the conditions of the digital age. We recognize that other organizations are engaged in related efforts, even if they might use a different term – such as an ethical code for the digital age – to describe what they’re doing.
The Digital Age is still in an early phase, and the policies and understandings that are established at this point will influence later choices. If we fail at this time to develop a social contract, it will be much harder to do so later.
Thank you for listening and, again, we invite your ideas on the shape of a social contract suited to the requirements of the Digital Age.
by Editor | Oct 14, 2019 | News
At the 2019 Global Foundries Technology Conference (GTC) as well as at the 2019 AI Hardware Summit, there are some interesting insights on the capabilities of today’s and tomorrow’s AI-enabled smart systems and the memory technology that underlies these capabilities.
Thomas Caulfield, GF CEO at the GTC gave this example of how virtualized models of automobile interrelated systems could speed development of all the important aspect of vehicle safety and performance.
Caulfield described how the company’s Fusion Design Platform, powered by AI can lead to better models and fewer mistakes going into production.
At the 2019 AI Hardware Summit there were talks by established and many start-up AI companies, as well as the companies that supply them, on what it takes to build a successful AI ecosystem. John Hennessey from Stanford University and Alphabet showed some examples of training processing unit (TPU)-based data center AI training systems, using large amounts of high bandwidth memory (HBM).
AI applications require local fast memory/storage to support them and minimizing data movement. This is increasing the quantity and performance requirements for training AI models and the low power AI inference efficiency needs for edge and endpoint applications. According to Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (MDI), AI technology can be a force to apply in both software and hardware including datasets, algorithms, intended impacts, goals and purposes for enhancing system performance and transparency.
The original article can be found here.
by Editor | Oct 14, 2019 | News
Only 10 per cent of Indian CEOs are confident about the reliability of their artificial intelligence (AI) applications, according to PwC India.
Even as AI has the potential to solve complex problems effectively at scale, badly designed applications can cause more harm than good, PwC India said in its report based on a comprehensive study conducted with over 1,000 CXOs and business decision makers from India and other regions, between May and September 2019.
The intent of the study was to understand the outlook towards AI in India. Findings of the report strongly indicate the need to invest in building AI systems that are responsible, understandable and ethical, ensuring customer trust.
AI can be defined as a collection of technologies which are capable of sensing, thinking and acting like rational human beings.
However, to scale AI initiatives, organizations will have to ensure these solutions are ethically sound, compliant with all regulations, with a robust governance framework. The AI framework is also established by AI World Society (AIWS) Ethics and Practices Index to track the AI activities of governments and organizations. The Index measures the extent to which governments and organizations’ AI activities respects human values and contributes to the constructive use of AI.
The original article can be found here.
by Editor | Oct 6, 2019 | News
Blockchain is aimed to enable a digital decentralized society where people can contribute, collaborate, and transact without having to second-guess trust and transparency. Blockchain-projects to operate in EU is supposed to comply with GPDR, a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individual citizens of the EU and the European Economic Area.
However, it remains unclear as to how this compliance is understood. A recent article of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society provides a view on this matter, arguing that blockchain is really incompatible with GDPR. Elizabeth M. Renieris, its author, is the founder of hackylawyER, an innovative consultancy focused on law and policy engineering.
Renieris argues that most existing projects rely on “consent” but do not effectively address the mechanism for obtaining adequate informed consent or its revocable nature. These projects cannot answer the question: what is the “lawful basis” for writing data to the ledger in the first place?
She goes further by saying that the blockchain violates other core principles of GDPR. On the principle of purpose limitation, personal data must be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner incompatible with those purposes. Given the automatic replication of data across all nodes in a network, it is hard to argue that data is not “further processed” beyond actually writing a given transaction to the ledger. Also, the automatic replication of data across all nodes in a ledger is an automatic violation of the data minimization principle. This is not to mention that the design that a blockchain is meant to be a permanent and immutable digital record is inherently at odds with the storage limitation principle.
Renieris’ arguments are useful to the assessment of the compatibility (or incompatibility) of blockchain and the GDPR. Protection of user privacy seems a never-ending debate.
by Editor | Oct 6, 2019 | News
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) — once discussed in concept but with few practical applications — is now a reality in practically every aspect of today’s world. Name an industry, and you can be sure that AI applications play a part in its operations. The use of AI is one of the fastest-growing trends in marketing today. But from what I’ve seen as the president of a digital marketing agency that works in the health care and wellness sector, AI is having the biggest impact in health care marketing.
The proof is in the dollars: The national AI health care market is expected to reach $6.6 billion by 2021. Our reliance on AI to support our health care marketing programs has doubled in the past year alone. The greatest usefulness of AI for health care marketing includes predictive analytics, speech recognition technology and chatbots.
While there’s still much work and research to be done in AI and many privacy issues and guidelines to explore, the health care industry seems to be quickly keeping up. Using AI can allow health care systems, clinics and providers to create an engaging, seamless interaction with their patients.
The AI application in healthcare is also promoted by Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (MDI) and AI World Society (AIWS) to not only help people achieve well-being and happiness, but also support on AI Ethics for the constructive and development of AI.
The original article can be found here.
by Editor | Oct 6, 2019 | News
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the first woman president of Latvia, and a founding member of the World Leadership Alliance–Club de Madrid will be presented with the World Leader for Peace and Security Award on October 21, in Madrid. The award will be presented by Governor Michael Dukakis, Chairman of the Boston Global Forum and Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (BGF-MDI).
Vike-Freiberga currently serves as the president of Club De Madrid, the world’s largest forum of former heads-of-state and parliamentary governments. She is also a member of the International Programme Board of the Prague European Summit.
Vike-Freiberga, who served two terms as Latvia’s president from 1999-2007, is being recognized in-part for her contributions to the AI World Society Initiative–launched by Boston Global Forum and the Dukakis Institute, as well as other contributions to peace and security in the Baltics, Europe, and internationally.
Club De Madrid has also been partnering with Boston Global forum and The Dukakis Institute in in an effort to build the Next Democracy Generation using AI and AIWS models. This project addresses the main factors that impact the world’s democracies, among them new technologies and social media.
In presenting the award, Gov. Dukakis, whose organization is dedicated to international peace, security and cooperation, is expected to say:
“We’ve been fortunate to have worked with President Vike-Freiberga in recent years. The first contact with her for many of us in Boston was when she was a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. Since then, she has been a frequent participant in the proceedings of the Boston Global Forum and is a member of our board of international thought leaders. She has made significant contributions for the AI World Society Initiative as well.
“She served for two terms as President of Latvia, at a time when it joined the NATO and the European Union. During her last year in office, Latvia’s economy had GDP growth of more than 10 percent, one of the highest in the world.
“Europe, too, has benefitted from her efforts. She has, for example, served as Vice President of the Reflection Group on the long-term future of the EU, was a member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, and chaired the European Commission High Level Expert Group on Media Freedom.
“As Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, she brought attention to Azerbaijan’s development and its critical role in maintaining peace and harmony in the Caucasus. A Muslim-majority country, Azerbaijan is a model for religious tolerance and cooperation.”
President Vike-Freiberga will also be recognized at the Boston Global Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Day event, to be held at noon, December 12, 2019 at Harvard University.
by Editor | Oct 6, 2019 | News
The Riga Conference 2019 will take place on October 11 and 12. This year, it attracts many governments leaders, thought leaders from Europe, and USA. As usual, President and Prime Minister of Latvia will open and conclude the conference.
Dr Artis Pabriks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia,
Ms Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Federal Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany
Mr Peter Hultquist, Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of the Sweden
will speak at PLENERY SESSION: COMPREHENSIVE & COLLECTIVE – BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF NATO’S FUTURE DEFENCE
For 70 years, NATO has successfully adapted to changing political landscapes to maintain peace for its members. As the number of vulnerable domains increases, the Alliance’s collective defence must adapt once more. For decades comprehensive defence has been seen as a strategy for non-aligned countries. Soon this will no longer be the case. How will the comprehensive defence efforts of several allies strengthen the Alliance? How can a comprehensive strategy best complement the collective approach?
Dr Vaira Vīķe – Freiberga, President of the Club de Madrid, former President of the Republic of Latvia
Dr Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Riksdag
Dr Constanze Stelzenmüller, Robert Bosch Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Mr Arseniy Yatsenyuk, former Prime Minister of Ukraine
will speak at PLENARY SESSION: ELITES LOSING THEIR ELECTORATE?
National elections in Western and Eastern Europe show growing support for FN, AfD and similar new populist parties. Political elites who for a long time led the European integration project, the EU accession process, and immigration policy are losing their grassroots supporters. Increasingly elite parties are distrusted in countries like Germany, Italy, Sweden, Ukraine among others. How will this development influence European policy in general? How will EU institutions like the European Parliament, European Council or Commission be affected? Will Europe become inward looking and mercantilist to appease the dissatisfaction amplified by new populist parties?
Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Founder of the Boston Global Forum will be a speaker of the Riga Conference 2019, at Planery Session “ Political Power in the Digital Age “.
The power of technology in the digital age is increasing day by day. Algorithms decide what information we are exposed to, what we should buy, or who we should follow. We can observe the political process increasingly playing out in the digital arena. The democratic need to find a careful balance between censorship and free speech increasingly clashes with the business models and policies of powerful, private social media platforms used by millions of users. What risks do technologies of the digital age pose to the traditional policy making process and political power?
by Editor | Oct 6, 2019 | News
Professor Alex Sandy Pentland, Director of Connection Science of MIT and Co-Founder of AIWS Social Contract 2020 and Mr. Paul Nemitz, team member of AIWS Social Contract 2020, will speak at AI World Conference and Expo 2019.
Join the Boston Global Forum, the Strategic Alliance Host of AI World, Oct 23-25 in Boston, MA – https://aiworld.com/
AI World is the industry’s largest independent business event focused on the state of the practice of AI in the enterprise. The 3-day program delivers a comprehensive spectrum of content, networking, and business development opportunities, all designed to help you cut through the hype and navigate through the complex landscape of AI business solutions. Attend AI World and learn how innovators are successfully deploying AI and intelligent automation to accelerate innovation efforts, build competitive advantage, drive new business opportunities, and reduce costs. Register for your complimentary Expo Pass here at or for your conference pass here.
AI World Society and AIWS Social Contract 2020 is a content partner of the Automation Engineering International Conference in Rome, Italy, October 23-24, 2019. The theme of the conference is Automation and Robotics for a Sustainable Future.
This International Conference on Robotics and Automation Engineering will provide an opportunity for researchers, doctors, practitioners, and educators to exchange research evidence, practical experiences and innovative ideas on issues related to Robotics & Automation Engineering. It is a global platform to explore issues of mutual concern as well as the exchange of knowledge, share evidence, ideas, and knowledge.
