by Editor | Jun 23, 2024 | Publications
The full paper can be downloaded as a PDF here: The Knowledge Platform for AI – The Contribution of Business. Below is the introductory chapter of the paper.
Directors AI Ethics Forum, Harvard University, June 17-18, 2024
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Jeff Saviano, Thomas Patterson, Quynh Nham, Minh Nguyen, Yasuhide Nakayama, Paul Nemitz
I. Introduction
A. Creating The Knowledge Platform for AI.
Since its inception in November 2017, the Artificial Intelligence World Society (AIWS), founded by the Boston Global Forum (BGF), has been at the forefront of shaping the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and fostering new models for democracy. Through collaborations with global leaders and top AI thinkers, AIWS has introduced innovative initiatives and frameworks aimed at harnessing AI for the betterment of society. These efforts have included collaboration with organizations such as the United Nations, Club de Madrid, Riga Conference, Harvard University, MIT, and universities in Japan, Europe, India, and Vietnam.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses significant threats to humanity. To address them, BGF established AIWS in 2017, calling for efforts to make AI safe and beneficial based on the Social Contract for the AI Age. AIWS seeks collaboration from universities, companies, governments, institutions, and individuals to remake the world with AI for a better, safer future. Urgent action is needed to establish new democratic models to harness AI’s advantages and advancements while mitigating the risks.
On April 30, 2024, at the BGF Conference “Governing the Future: AI, Democracy, and Humanity” held at Harvard University’s Loeb House, BGF announced its intent to create the “Knowledge Platform for AI.” Amid the rapid evolution of AI, there is an urgent need for a robust knowledge platform to address gaps in ethical standards. The Knowledge Platform for AI aims to fill this void by providing a centralized knowledge repository that can inform the responsible development of AI. It will serve as a beacon for ethical AI usage, guided by humane principles designed to ensure that AI development aligns with ethical standards and societal values. The principles and values embedded in the Knowledge Platform derive from the Boston Global Forum’s Social Contract for the AI Age and AI World Society (AIWS) Model (see Appendix B).
B. Importance of Building a Knowledge Platform for AI and Ensuring Equality of Opportunity in AI
- Creating a Robust Foundation:
- The Knowledge Platform for AI builds on historical values, standards, and norms, and political, social, and economic models from global pillars such as the USA, Japan, India, and the EU. This foundation is essential for developing AI systems that are ethical, inclusive, and beneficial to all.
- Ensuring Fairness and Inclusivity:
- It is crucial to ensure that AI technologies do not perpetuate existing inequalities or create new ones. By building a platform that emphasizes equality of opportunity, the benefits of AI can be accessible to all individuals, companies, and countries, regardless of background or resources.
- Establishing Standards and Regulations:
- The platform will provide a basis for creating international standards, laws, and conventions to govern the development and use of AI. This is essential to maintain the ethical use of AI and to protect individuals and societies from potential risks associated with AI technologies.
- Promoting Ethical AI Integration:
- The platform will promote the integration of AI in a manner that emphasizes kindness, fairness, justice, honesty, and humanity. This approach will help build a society that values these principles.
- Humanity Governing AI:
- AI must be governed by the people. The platform will ensure that AI fosters human decision-making rather than dominating or replacing it.
- Creating Sample AI Assistants:
- Developing AI assistants that focus on compassion, education, and innovation will provide practical examples of how AI can be used to enhance human capabilities and improve quality of life.
C. Role of Business Leaders in This Initiative
Business leaders play a crucial role in this initiative by:
- Driving Innovation and Adoption:
- Business leaders can drive the innovation and adoption of ethical AI technologies within their organizations, setting an example for others to follow.
- Investing in Ethical AI Development:
- By investing in the development of AI technologies that adhere to the standards and values of the Knowledge Platform for AI, business leaders can ensure that their companies contribute positively to society.
- Collaborating with Stakeholders:
- Business leaders can collaborate with other stakeholders, including governments, academia, and non-profits, to develop and implement the standards, laws, and conventions necessary for governing AI.
- Promoting Inclusivity and Accessibility:
- Ensuring that AI technologies are accessible to all, and not just a privileged few, is essential for promoting equality of opportunity. Business leaders can play a pivotal role in making this a reality.
- Championing Ethical Practices:
- By championing ethical practices and promoting the values of the Knowledge Platform for AI within their organizations and industries, business leaders can help create a culture that values fairness, justice, and humanity in AI development.
Jeff Saviano, AI Ethics Director of Boston Global Forum
by Editor | Jun 23, 2024 | News
On June 21, 2024, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition at the Wilson Center announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at enhancing strategic relations between the United States, Japan, India, and Vietnam. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in fostering deeper economic and political ties among these key Indo-Pacific nations.
BGF and the Wahba Institute unveiled their joint initiative, inviting distinguished policymakers, eminent thinkers, and business leaders from the US, Japan, India, and Vietnam to join the Indo-Pacific Spark Leaders. The Indo-Pacific Spark Leaders will contribute to developing a robust framework for collaboration, addressing critical issues and opportunities in the region. Through focused research and strategic collaboration, the Indo-Pacific Spark Leaders will develop guidelines to strengthen economic and political cooperation, ensuring a peaceful, secure, stable, and prosperous future for all participating nations in the Age of AI.
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
by Editor | Jun 17, 2024 | News
At the G7 Leaders’ Summit kick-off, 2020 World Leader for Peace and Security Award, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, delivered her message on the G7 Summit 2024 in Bari, Italy:
- “In turbulent times, the strongest message we can send is unity.
Unity for Ukraine’s freedom.
Unity for a peaceful and stable Middle East and the three-phase plan.
Unity for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Alessandro Della Valle / AP
by Editor | Jun 17, 2024 | News
Lila Kee, the General Manager for GlobalSign‘s North and South American operations, as well as the company’s Chief Product Officer.
AI Governance In Action
These key points were top of mind at a recent event I attended, sponsored by the Boston Global Forum (BGF), titled “Governing the Future: AI, Democracy and Humanity.” The event was facilitated by BGF cofounder Nguyen Anh Tuan and attended by leaders in academia, technology and public policy. Dr. Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, also spoke about the importance of ensuring policy innovation keeps up with AI innovation.
My takeaway was that policymakers and stakeholders shouldn’t overly fret about not having a deep understanding of the technology stack behind AI. Instead, they should focus on how AI could help sustain and enhance global initiatives impacting human rights.
Industry initiatives, for example, are focusing on developing standards to distinguish between AI-generated and original images. The AI Governance Alliance advocates for traceability in AI-generated content; this could be achieved through various watermarking techniques. Similarly, C2PA, an industry-led coalition, focuses on the traceability of original and real-world captured content.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2024/06/13/the-role-of-government-and-industry-in-safeguarding-ai/
