The speech of Yasuhide Nakayama, Coordinator of the Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, at the second BGF High-level Dialogue on Regulation Framework for ChatGPT, GPT4, and AI Assistants, March 22, 2023.
In 1945, Japan and the United States marked the end of their war. Today, 78 years later, the two nations that once fought against each other have formed the world’s most admired alliance, the Japan-US alliance. And today, on the grand stage of the WBC finals, they are battling it out in a baseball game. Currently, Russia is waging an aggressive war against Ukraine, and it is crucial to stop this invasion as soon as possible. As someone living in Japan, I predict that what is happening in Europe today could potentially occur in the Taiwan Strait tomorrow. Collaboration between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Russia seems to be escalating every day, with military spending and activities increasing compared to the past. Two years ago in the fall, the Russian military conducted military exercises as far west as Hawaii. As you may know, the South China Sea has become a military base for China. While AI stands for artificial intelligence, it also has the meaning of “artificial island” in China. If China’s People’s Liberation Army were to launch a JL-3 missile towards the United States from the South China Sea, it is important to understand that the White House is already within its range. Furthermore, preparations and technologies for battles in space, cyberspace, and electromagnetic waves are being aggressively developed. It is easy to predict that countries will use AI for military purposes. No matter how many rules are established, humans are not gods and can lie. Until this issue is resolved, the battle between good and evil may never end. However, we must not give up on this. The responsibility for creating artificial intelligence lies with humanity. In order to prevent malicious AI from doing harm, we must nurture benevolent AI. There is no time to rest in this battle and competition.
When AI is implemented in society, laws and regulations will be necessary.
Here are some thoughts on the laws and regulations needed for the social implementation of AI:
- Transparency and accountability
- Even if AI is programmed by humans, it can make autonomous judgments based on algorithms and data. Therefore, it is necessary to make the decisions and reasoning of AI transparent. If AI makes a mistake, it is important to clarify who is responsible for it.
- Protection of privacy
- AI may collect and use personal information, so laws such as the Personal Information Protection Act and the Data Protection Act will be necessary. It is also important to clearly state the purpose of collecting personal information and obtain the individual’s consent.
- Elimination of bias and discrimination
- AI can have biases and discriminatory thinking like humans. Therefore, rules are needed to prevent biased or discriminatory decision making by AI.
- Ensuring safety
- If AI makes important decisions, it is important to ensure that the decisions are safe. For example, if an autonomous vehicle causes an accident, it is necessary to clarify who is responsible.
- Consideration of social impact
- Rules are needed to minimize the impact of AI on society. For example, if jobs are automated by AI, policies will be needed to support people affected by the automation. In summary, laws and regulations are necessary for the social implementation of AI, including transparency and accountability, protection of privacy, elimination of bias and discrimination, ensuring safety, and consideration of social impact. These regulations will make the social implementation of AI safer and more sustainable.
Yesterday, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Kyiv, Ukraine and held talks with President Zelensky. It is also planned for this year’s G7 Summit to be held in Hiroshima, Japan, which is the birthplace of Prime Minister Kishida. In this sense, I believe that the Prime Minister’s commitment to nuclear disarmament is among the highest of any politician in the world. As a personal dream of mine, I would like to attract the United Nations Asia-Pacific headquarters to Japan. New York has the UN headquarters, and Geneva in Switzerland has the UN European office. Despite the presence of populous countries such as India and China in Asia, there is no place for everyone to gather and discuss together as the United Nations. I feel that Hiroshima, as the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, is the most suitable city and location to attract the United Nations Asia-Pacific headquarters due to its historical significance. In Japanese, “AI” can also mean “love”. Therefore, it is important for the social implementation of AI to make AI understand and appreciate “love”. Lastly, I believe that when a malevolent AI or an AI that antagonizes humanity emerges in this world, the only ones capable of fighting against it would be benevolent AI and God. I am very much looking forward to meeting you all in Japan in April.
Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama speaks at the Second BGF High-level Dialogue