by Admin | May 9, 2020 | AIWS and the Age of Global Enlightenment
Version 1.0, 05/05/2020
Nazli Choucri, Michael Dukakis, Tuan Anh Nguyen, Thomas Patterson, Alex Pentland, Nghia Trong Pham, David Silbersweig
I. A New Social Contract in the age of Artificial Intelligence
The term “artificial intelligence” refers to the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, self-driving cars, and so forth. Almost everyone recognizes that advances in AI have already altered conventional ways of viewing the world around us. This is creating new realities for everyone – as well as new possibilities.
These advances are powerful in many ways. They have created a new global ecology; yet they remain opaque and must be better understood. We have created new tradeoffs that must be assessed. We must now focus on critical principles and essential supporting practices for the new and emerging Social Contract 2020.
We must now re-think and consolidate the best practices for human development, recognizing the power and value of the individual and of society.
The expansion of innovations in and uses of Artificial Intelligence in almost all segments of human activity is well recognized, and it is evident that these will continue to change our lives in ways that we are yet able to imagine. At the same time, without some broad contours of guidelines or directives, undisciplined use of AI entails a number of significant risks to the health and wellbeing of individuals – damages to life-supporting properties, opaque decision-making, gender-based or other kinds of discrimination, control over private lives, and exploitation for criminal purposes – and seriously threatens the stability and security of all societies everywhere.
There is a clear awareness in the international community of the challenges and opportunities, as well as the problems and perils, of AI and many are seeking ways of managing their approach to AI. At least 20 countries have announced formal strategies to promote the use and development of AI. No two strategies are alike; however, there are common themes even among countries who focus on different aspects of AI policy. The most common themes addressed pertain to:
- Scientific research,
- Talent development,
- Skills and education,
- Public and private sector adoption,
- Ethics and inclusion,
- Standards and regulations, and
- Data and digital infrastructure.
Concurrently, AI is becoming a focus of foreign policy and international cooperation – for both developed and developing states. There is a shared view that no country will be able to compete or meet the needs of its citizens without substantial AI capability.
More important, many countries are now involved in technology leapfrogging rather than in replicating known trajectories of the past century. It is no longer expected, nor is it necessary, to replicate the stages of economic development of the West—one phase at a time. Countries now frame their own priorities and strategies.
In sum, all countries are going through a common experience of adapting to and managing unknowns. This commonality of shared elements results in a welcoming international atmosphere for a Social Contract 2020.
In a world as diverse as the one today, there are few mechanisms for responding to such possibilities on a global scale. Social Contract 2020 is designed to frame a common understanding anchored in general principles to help maximise the “good” and minimise the “bad” associated with AI. Derived from the general concept of social contract in the 18th century—and its various manifestations and formulations—Social Contract 2020 is framed in response to the new conditions of the 21st Century. The fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by artificial intelligence, big data, IoT, and high-speed computation – and the innovations thereof.
Foundations
Just as the Social Contract of the 18th Century helped shape a new world, Social Contract 2020 also has a transformative vision: It transcends the technological features of artificial intelligence per se, and seeks to provide foundations for a new society — one based on the profound, widespread, ethical and just application of AI. (Note, for example, how the Covid-19 pandemic urgently requires a new society with new structure and order). Social Contract 2020 lays the foundation and standards for a new international system; it focuses on the conduct of each nation, relations with non-state actors (such as international business and not for profit entities), and the interconnection of nations (and their relations with organized entities) on a worldwide basis. While TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, Social Contract 2020 can be seen as a platform for connection between governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions.
Objective
The overall objective of Social Contract 2020 is to help build a multi-stakeholder AI- intensive society in all aspects of life from politics, governments, economics, business, and industry, all the way to the social order and the life of each individual. Social Contract 2020 eencourages everyone to value the acts of creation, innovation, philanthropy, and mutual respect. It seeks the respect and right to have freedom on, and access to, the Internet worldwide. The vision of Social Contract 2020 is to make our world a place of honest and responsible interaction. That means, a place where everyone’s contribution is recognized and everyone has a right to knowledge and access to information, where no one is above the law, where money cannot be used to subvert political process, and were integrity, knowledge, creativity, honesty and kindness are seen as key values in shaping decision and policy.
In short, Social Contract 2020 is for shaping a world where all stakeholders are recognized, and all forms of governance adhere these values and are accountable and transparent. It is a world where only by working together it is possible to address and resolve global challenges.
II. Principles
Extensive and appropriate AI application to politics, governments, society, and businesses can create a Smart Democracy supporting a global supply chain. The Smart Democracy Social Contract 2020 creates a platform for a new global supply chain, named Supply Chain 2020. As a critically important framework for society in the AI age, the Social Contract 2020 is based on balancing power among all stakeholders and among governments, businesses, civil society, individuals, and AI assistants. Being an important contract, the Social Contract 2020 is a commitment of main stakeholders to protect property, common values, and norms for good between nations.
a. AI is grounded in and must serve fundamental human rights such as human dignity and privacy protection.
b. AI systems must be considered from a multi-stakeholder perspective — for an individual and for society as a whole
c. Social Contract 2020 is an important tool to achieve sustainable and inclusive development for a global community that is fair, equitable, effective and prosperous.
d. It will also enhance prospects for Smart Democracy.
III. Commitments of Stakeholders/ Power Centers
(1) Individuals, Citizens, Groups:
· Everyone is entitled to basic rights and dignity that are enhanced/promoted by AI and the Internet Age and entail greater responsibilities.
Data Rights and Responsibilities:
· Each individual has the right to privacy and is entitled to access and control over their own data. Individuals have a right to organize ways of managing their data, individually or collectively, and the right not to hand in their data to businesses.
Internet Rights:
· Each individual has the right to access the Internet and any website or news system (recognized by governments of countries or not).
· Freedom of expression on the Internet.
· Secure digital identity, which allows the individual to know about and control access to trustworthy data about themselves.
Education and Political Participation:
· Each individual has the right to education through available venues.
· Each individual has access to education/knowledge/vocational training pertaining to the use and impact of AI.
· Each individual has the right to political participation.
Responsibility:
· Each individual is prohibited from exercising socially disruptive behaviors, such as hacking and disseminating disinformation.
· Each individual must contribute to the common health of society, through appropriate taxes and provide critical personal information (with appropriate safety guarantees) as is familiar in the collection of census data
(2) Governments:
· All government are expected to behave responsibly in the management of AI for governance and for interactions with individuals and such behavior must be easily auditable.
· Respect and implement AI governance of honesty, transparency, accountability to effect collaboration with international communities. These standards and norms are also to be applied in every area of governance.
· Create incentives for citizens to use AI in ways that benefit society (each person can do good work for society that will be recognized as value, and this value can be exchanged with other values such as financial value, products, services, etc.).
· Create norms/laws/rules to ensure AI benefits society.
· Create secure safety net for citizens affected by AI.
· Protect and promote IP rights without undermining movements toward free access of knowledge commons.
Connect between governments:
· Norms, values and standards of Social Contract 2020 are designed as connections among governments. To maintain the Social Contract 2020, it is essential to establish a Democratic Alliance for Digital Governance. The first countries of the Alliance should include US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia, Japan.
United Nations and International Organizations:
· Extend the spheres of international organizations to include AI and extend the upholding of international standards/norms/practices pertaining thereto — UN Convention on AI, a Specialized UN Agency on AI.
(3) Business Entities. Business operations and related rights come with accountability and responsibility – nationally and internationally:
· Enable independent audits for honest transparency, fairness, accountability, and cybersecurity.
· Adopt common AI values, standards, norms, and data ownership rules, and expect penalties for noncompliance.
· Companies will be incentivized to do business only with companies and countries that respect, apply the Social Contract 2020, and Supply Chain 2020.
(4) Civil Society Organizations & Community. Rights and responsibilities of civil society organizations include;
· Monitoring governments and firms with respect to common values.
· Compliance with common values/norms/standards/laws.
· Support AI users and assist them to serve the broad interests of society.
· Create multi-stakeholder AI support and protection plans.
· Participate in the making of AI rules and norms.
(5) AI Assistants. AI assistants provide an interface to facilitate compliance with established standards.
· Support AI users and assist them to serve the broad interests of society.
· Engage with other power centers for mutual support and supervision.
· Community control: Behavior of assistants should be governed by communities of users.
IV. Implementation
· Ethics code for AI makers and AI users.
· A system to monitor and evaluate governments, companies, and individuals in the world (based on their contribution to maintaining norms, standards, common values, and international laws, for honesty, transparency, accountability, and responsibility with the world and in their nations and communities).
· This system is recognized by the United Nations and the international AI community.
· A New United Nations AI Convention established to obligate all stakeholders, including governments, to comply with international rules and norms to protect other stakeholder’s rights in AI age.
· Link compliance with AI rules and norms to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
· Build and develop Democratic Alliance for Digital Governance as global power to enforce the Social Contract 2020.
Download The Social Contract 2020, version 1.0, 5-5-2020 here
by Editor | May 4, 2020 | Event Updates
The Boston Global Forum and World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid (WLA-CdM) will co-organize the Online AIWS Roundtable with the attendence of President of WLA-CdM, and Former President of Slovenia Danilo Türk, Former Prime Minister of Canada Kim Campbell, and Former Prime Minister of Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlén , and leaders of AI World Society Innovation Network (AIWS.net) Professors Thomas Patterson (Harvard), Nazli Choucri (MIT), Alex Pentland (MIT), and David Silbersweig (Harvard).
Participants will discuss the Social Contract 2020, focus on the protection of privacy rights in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Time: 9:00 am (EST), May 12, 2020.
World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid (WLA-CdM) is the largest worldwide assembly of political leaders working to strengthen democratic values, good governance and the well-being of citizens across the globe. As a non-profit, non-partisan, international organisation, its network is composed of more than 100 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from over 70 countries, together with a global body of advisors and expert practitioners, who offer their voices and agency on a pro bono basis, to today’s political, civil society leaders and policymakers. WLA-CdM responds to a growing demand for trusted advice in addressing the challenges involved in achieving democracy that delivers, building bridges, bringing down silos and promoting dialogue for the design of better policies for all. This alliance, providing the experience, access and convening power of its Members, represents an independent effort towards sustainable development, inclusion, and peace, not bound by the interest or pressures of institutions and governments.
This event is a part of the Policy Dialog 2020: Transatlantic Approaches on Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in Artificial Intelligence Age, sponsored by Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong, co-founder and Executive Chairman of ATC Tram Huong Khanh Hoa.
by Admin | Apr 28, 2020 | AI World Society Summit, Highlights
AIWS Summit 2020: Speech by Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament
April 28, 2020
Anf. Andreas Norlén, AI World Society Summit 2020, the Boston Global Forum and World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid
———————–
Governor Dukakis,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen
As the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you today. I can only regret that I cannot be with you in person, but given the current circumstances, that is obviously not an option. And let me on behalf of the Swedish Parliament express my sympathy to the people of the United States and to all other countries represented at the conference for all the hardship and the suffering that this corona crisis has caused.
Today, some 3 billion people use social media. That is in itself a good thing; the advantages of more and more people going online, learning new things, exchanging ideas, criticizing political policies or interacting is something the world as a whole will greatly benefit from.
The problem of course is that everyone online is not honest and everyone is not our friend. There are many attempts to hack our systems and also to hack people’s minds. Thera are strong players who are very interested in what we do on the internet, and algorithms can track people’s actions online and then offer tailor made news that they think you want and provide you with either fake news or very biased news in order to make you think or vote or act in a certain way. Often the aim is to question our common values such as democracy, rule of law or personal freedom.
We have all heard about how elections in democratic countries have been exposed to this. For this reason, the awareness was quite high in Sweden when we had our last parliamentary elections in 2018.
Much to our surprise, no significant external organized hostile influence operations were detected. Maybe the most important advice on how to protect oneself from cyber-attacks, disinformation and organized hostile influence is: public awareness. As long as the public is aware that they run the risk of falling victim to those kinds of attacks, I think much has been won.
Do some news items seem too good to be true? Or maybe too bad to be true? Think again before you share them on social media. That is a very good advice.
I know it isn’t always easy to apply these virtues, but slowly but surely, I think the Swedes are getting better at this. Since 2016, it is mandatory for government agencies to report serious IT incidents. There are also many different agencies closely cooperating to detect cyber-attacks and hostile disinformation campaigns.
The role the parliament can play in this respect would be to facilitate the cooperation as much as possible, to stay alert and to also engage the public on how to behave on social media and on how to handle hostile disinformation campaigns. Even weak signals that something is going on are important. We must stay vigilante so that we can counter and handle hostile attacks.
There is also the strictly technological part – and I may not be the right person to elaborate on that in detail – but there are systems based on artificial intelligence that can expose influence operations. They include the use of algorithms to detect automated behaviour and hijacked user accounts. With this technology, you can detect potential deceptions in the large amount of data that is produced in social media every day.
It is hard to find a subject that is of greater importance to our democracies than safeguarding elections and making them legitimate, including safeguarding the public discourse and trying to keep it sound and balanced.
I think that the greatest challenge to any election is public trust. As politicians in democracies, we are all in the so-called confidence business. If the voter confidence is lost or even weakened, we are on a slippery slope. As we all know, confidence is something that takes quite a while to build, but it can be lost very easily.
In Sweden we have traditionally taken pride in having a society with comparatively high confidence between people and for the institutions. According to a recent survey, the Swedish Parliament enjoys higher confidence than many other actors and organizations in the Swedish society and I think that is a very good thing for our democracy. We also have a high voter turnout, 87 percent voted in the last parliamentary elections in 2018. That also indicates that people trust the institutions. Thanks to this trust, it is easier to have meaningful conversations also online and I believe it is harder to manipulate people’s minds.
By raising awareness both among the public and among civil servants, we managed to conduct our last elections in relative peace and protect our democracy and our common values, such as free and fair elections, human rights and the rule of law.
Increased awareness demands education. The more educated we are, the better we can, hopefully, detect fake news and biased information.
Education also applies to the new social contract in the age of artificial intelligence. New technology means automation in the workplace and that workers risk losing their jobs. Again, education and retraining are key. In Sweden, we talk more and more about “lifelong learning” – meaning that you are never really fully trained. In a society dependent on high technology you just have to accept that technology develops so fast, you will always lag behind – if you are not offered the proper training. For this reason, I believe that education must play a vital role for us to handle the new challenges in the new era.
Ladies and gentlemen,
For me as the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament it is a priority to follow developments in the scientific field. That task is probably more crucial today than ever before. For this reason, I am looking forward to your World Society Summit and the conclusions that will be drawn. I am also looking forward also to following the discussion that will take place after this summit.
Let us all engage in this important dialogue about how best to handle technology in this new world.
Please, ladies and gentlemen, your excellencies, stay safe and I hope we will meet in person in the future.
Thank you very much!
by Editor | Apr 12, 2020 | News
It’s too early to quantify the economic impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, but because of this outbreak compounded with the U.S.-China trade war, global supply chains and businesses linked to the world’s second-biggest economy are being impacted. As I sit here in Singapore and monitoring the spread of the outbreak in Asia and beyond, the mounting human cost is also especially of deep concern to me.
But even amid adversity comes the opportunity for innovation and invention. Chinese tech companies Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu have opened their artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing technologies to researchers to quicken the development of virus drugs and vaccines. U.S.-based medical startups are using AI to rapidly identify thousands of new molecules that could be turned into potential cures. Yet another is using the same technology for early warning and detection by analyzing global airline ticketing data.
This has all served as a reminder for me, an AI founder, of the immense potential of AI for improving efficiency, growth and productivity. AI-enabled automation can really make a difference for traditional services and offline businesses transitioning to digital and online channels.
If increasing productivity while lowering cost is vital for your business, then you might benefit from taking another look at these particular areas where AI can really help: automating processes, gaining customer and competitive insight through data and improving customer and employee engagement.
The original article can be found here.
According to the impact of AI to world society, Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (MDI) established the Artificial Intelligence World Society Innovation Network (AIWS.net) to monitor AI developments and uses by governments, corporations, and non-profit organizations to assess whether they comply with the norms and standards codified in the AIWS Social Contract 2020.
by Editor | Apr 5, 2020 | Event Updates
An online preliminary policy discussion about the Transatlantic Approaches on Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Age will be held under the AI World Society Innovation Network (AIWS.net) from April 28, 2020.
A face-to-face policy discussion will be held in Boston in September 16-18, 2020.
The World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid (WLA-CdM) in partnership with the Boston Global Forum (BGF) is organizing a Transatlantic and multi-stakeholder dialogue on global challenges and policy solutions in the context of the need to create a new social contract on digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Over the years, Transatlantic relations have been characterized by close cooperation and continuous work for common interests and values. This cooperation has been essential to enhance the multilateralism system, considering the shared principles from both sides on democracy, rule of law, and fairness.
By comparing American and European approaches in the creation of a new social contract on AI Age and digital governance, under the critical eye of former democratic Heads of State or Government, this policy dialogue will stimulate new thinking and bring out ideas from representatives of governments, academic institutions and think tanks, tech companies, and civil society, from both regions.
At the same time, the discussion will generate a space to encourage and strengthen Transatlantic cooperation on the new social contract of digital governance in the framework of needed reforms of the multilateral system and will serve as a platform to establish a Transatlantic Alliance for Digital Governance. Besides, the policy discussion aims to discuss the creation of an initiative to monitor governments as well as companies in using AI and generate an AI Ethics Index at all levels.
Given the world health emergency experienced in the first months of the year related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact in all actors and spheres of life, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence have been strong allies to face the situation in multiple dimensions (scientific, health, social, etc.). However, digital technologies also bring new challenges to address under these circumstances. New communication channels have contributed to the rapid spread of fake news about COVID-19, generating disinformation, increasing confusion and influencing society’s perception, raising collective concern. On other occasions, the new tools used to track and face the virus could imply a violation of privacy rights.
The relevance of the topic leads us to include a global health security component to the Policy Lab, analyzing the implications of artificial intelligence and new technologies in this regard, as well as the response of governments, international organizations, companies and society, where the situation has demonstrated that a Social Contract on digital governance and the renewal of multilateralism and global cooperation mechanisms are more necessary than ever.
by Editor | Mar 29, 2020 | Event Updates
Standards which are introduced in the Social Contract 2020 received support from Japanese politicians on AIWS.net Roundtable. Japanese leaders enthusiastically joined the events of the Boston Global Forum from 2015. In an exciting discussion of Japanese politicians, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, former Japanese Ambassador to the United States, current distinguished professor and Chairman for International Strategies of Sophia University, President of Nakasone Peace Institute, and President of the America-Japan Society, sees this is an important endeavor. He links to Covid-19 pandemic, and raised two points that need to solve:
- If the country in question, in this case China, is not admitting its responsibility, who can identify which country should be responsible?
- Also, if an international organization, in this case WHO, is not reliable and seemingly pressurized by a power, in this case China, how shall we feel with such a situation?
AIWS.net Roundtable will invite distinguished thinkers and world leaders to dialogue with Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki on these two questions.
by Editor | Mar 22, 2020 | News
With the spread of COVID -19 growing both in Europe and the US, World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid (WLA-CdM) and the Boston Global Forum (BGF) decide to postpone the Boston Policy Lab – AIWS Summit to 16-18, September 2020.
While “Transatlantic Approaches on Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in Artificial Intelligence Age” was organized in Harvard and MIT offline, WLA-CdM and BGF will organize an online conference and continue to do AIWS Innovation Network (AIWS.net) Roundtable. The AIWS.net Roundtable attracts many distinguished thinkers and leaders to join and contribute ideas to build the Social Contract 2020 and United Nations 2045 project.
Postponed to September 16-18, there are more head of states and governments that can attend the event.
The Coronavirus outbreak risk reminds the world: to prevent peril, all governments have to create transparency, accountability, respect of freedom of expression of all citizens, and collaboration between governments.
by Editor | Mar 15, 2020 | News
Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, co-founder of AIWS Innovation Network, and Mr. Eliot Weinman Founder & Chair, AI World Conference and Expo, had a very nice lunch at Harvard University Faculty Club on November 16, 2018. At the lunch, Mr. Tuan shared with Mr. Weinman the concepts of AI-Government, a part of AI World Society, and advise AI World Conference and Expo should organize an AI government conference.
Mr. Weinman like this idea, and organized the first very successful AI government conference in DC from 24 to 26 of June 2019. Governor Michael Dukakis, co-founder of AIWS Innovation Network gave keynote opening speech; Professor Thomas Patterson, Harvard University, co-founder of AIWS Innovation Network, presented the concepts of AI-Government; and Professor Nazli Choucri, MIT, Co-founder of AIWS Innovation Network, joined as a panelist of the event.
This year, from 22 to 26 of June, the second AI World Government Conference will be take place in Washington DC.
With AI technology at the forefront of our everyday lives, there are significant efforts already underway by federal agencies to deploy and integrate data-driven government services. In fact, most federal agencies have already begun projects to leverage the rapid rise in availability of intelligent automation solutions. AI World Government gathers leaders from our nation’s strong innovation ecosystem across government, technology, business and research to present the state of the practice and state of the technology to assist in leveraging advanced intelligent technologies to enhance government services.
AIWS Innovation Network, the Strategic Alliance Host of AI World Government, will present AIWS Social Contract 2020, and transparency of AI to more than 1,000 Colleagues at the Largest Independent AI Federal Government Event of the Year 2020.
by Admin | Mar 7, 2020 | AIWS and the Age of Global Enlightenment
Message from Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong, Founder and Chairman of Tram Huong Khanh Hoa Company
Nha Trang, February 22, 2020
Trầm Hương or Agarwood in English, is the most precious product from Vietnamese forests.
Since ancient times, it has been called the Wood of Gods and the Scent from Heaven. Only emperors, royalty, senior officials, and noble lords got access to agarwood.
This dark wood, considered a national treasure, is used to produce medicines, fragrances from its essential oil that are more valuable than pure gold, and jewelry
Agarwood harvested in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam is popular all over the world, and has been traded as the most expensive product from Vietnam to all corners of the world along the Incense Route and the Silk Road, by land and sea, connecting Vietnam to other nations, and becoming a symbol of peace and prosperity in a harmonious world.
The world’s religions use agarwood as offerings in solemn ceremonies. When burnt, it releases aromatic smoke that clears the mind, increases wisdom, and stimulates pure, righteous thoughts. Agarwood is also believed to have a special quality that connects us with our ancestors and our gods in heaven. The wood itself is an expression of the human desire to be protected and blessed with favorable weather for abundant harvests and a happy, prosperous life.
Nghệ thuật Thưởng Trầm Vietnam or Vietnam Agarwood Pleasure Art, has been appreciated as a quintessential artform for all mankind. It has been scientifically proven, as well, that agarwood releases a gaseous nutrient that helps regenerate the body, cure many diseases, and provide a miraculous source of spiritual energy.
Agarwood is a messenger of peace that supports both romantic feelings and intellectual, sacred, and noble emotions, thus directing the human soul to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. The presence of Agarwood in our lives bring more empathy to our modern industrial society, which is making extensive use of artificial intelligence, thus making AI more humane and compassionate. In this regard, Tram Huong Khanh Hoa Company (ATC) is honored to join the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid and the Boston Global Forum and to hold the Tram Huong Agarwood-offering Ceremony honoring the World Leader in the Artificial Intelligence World Society, the April 27 to 29, 2020 at Harvard University Policy Dialogue “Transatlantic Approaches on Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in Artificial Intelligence.”
