Professor Thomas Patterson, Harvard Kennedy School, Co-founder of the Boston Global Forum and AIWS.net, is co-author of the Social Contract 2020, A New Social Contract in the Age of AI.
He recently posted his writing in the Opinion Section of Boston Globe, July 27, 2020 with title “The GOP’s moral trap”.
He wrote:
“The Republican Party has shattered the longstanding norm that political power should be used with restraint rather than weaponized and taken to its lawful limits. It’s about to pay the price.
Democracies depend on norms — unwritten rules about how leaders and citizens should behave. One norm is forbearance — the idea that political power should be used with restraint rather than weaponized and taken to its lawful limits. Such norms have little standing in today’s Republican Party.”
In preparation for the Policy Lab, WLA-CdM and BGF will be organizing a series of preliminary online roundtables that seek to fuel and enrich deliberations within the Policy Lab. The first of these roundtables took place on 12 May, 2020, and focused on the deployment of digital technologies in response to COVID-19 pandemic, and their implications on privacy rights.
A second online roundtable on Digital Technologies, Elections and Democracy in times of the COVID-19 pandemic will be held on August 5, 2020 and analyse how digital technologies can contribute to protecting democracies and guaranteeing free, fair and transparent elections in times of global emergencies.
In the present COVID-19 context and from a democratic perspective, the development of a new Social Contract on Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence acquires renewed relevance as the imperative of improving preparedness and government responses to global crises becomes ever more evident.
These policy discussions are part of the Multilateralism and Global Cooperation track of WLA-CdM’s 2020-2022 Programmatic Strategy. They will serve tobring the digital transformation angle into WLA-CdM’s 2020 Policy Dialogue on ‘Multilateralism that delivers’ and, through the latter, to our contribution to the UN75 process and global discussions on the much needed reinvigoration of the multilateral system.
In preparation for the Policy Lab, WLA-CdM and BGF will be organizing a series of preliminary online roundtables that seek to fuel and enrich deliberations within the Policy Lab. The first of these roundtables took place on 12 May, 2020, and focused on the deployment of digital technologies in response to COVID-19 pandemic, and their implications on privacy rights.
A second online roundtable on Digital Technologies, Elections and Democracy in times of the COVID-19 pandemic will be held on 28 July 2020 and analyse how digital technologies can contribute to protecting democracies and guaranteeing free, fair and transparent elections in times of global emergencies.
Objective of this event:
To contribute to the global discussions on how digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence can promote stable democracies in times of global crises.
To collect ideas for the Social Contract 2020 version 1.0 launched on May 2020.
Due to social distancing measures, we have decided to organize a virtual conference instead. The key content of this conference is “The Social Contract 2020: A New Social Contract in the Age of AI”
There are 20 former presidents and prime ministers that will join together with distinguished thinkers, legislators, and business leaders.
The magnitude and relevance of the COVID-19 pandemic has, naturally, upended original plans for Policy Lab on Transatlantic Approaches to Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in the Age of Artificial Intelligence which was originally designed to take place in the Spring of 2020. However, this initiative is now more important than ever as we seek to engage in multi-stakeholder discussions on the interaction between artificial intelligence/emerging technologies and measures/policies adopted by governments, international organizations, companies and society in times of global crises such as the one spawned by COVID 19.
The spread and penetration of digital technologies has been transforming society, the way in which we work, communicate and participate in different public and private spaces for some time now. The COVID-19 outbreak and ensuing global health crisis has significantly accelerated this process, imposing rapid and widespread digitalization even in the political sphere.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen online party meetings and even parliamentary sessions conducted via videoconference. We have also been able to verify the complexity of adapting certain governance interaction to a virtual format due to internal public administration rules and regulations Likewise, we have seen an increased interest in moving even voting online with a clear consciousness and concern over the opportunities and risks that this would entail in the context of elections.
Today’s financial systems are not trusted by citizens because they are inherently unstable and winner-take-all, so for most people the system offers only failure. Today, new digital technologies allow the fine-grain feedback needed to build systems that are dramatically more stable, which reward everyone’s contribution to society, and provide everyone with a realistic opportunity to build a good life.
Professor Alex Pentland, Faculty Founding Director of MIT Connection Science, Mentor of AI World Society Innovation Network (AIWS.net), and a co-author of the Social Contract 2020, has conceived the “Trustworthy Economy”, based on data science, digital technologies and AI. This is very meaningful for the UN 2045 Initiative.
The United Nations Academic Impact and the Boston Global Forum co-organize the UN 2045 Roundtable “Building a Trustworthy Economy” at 10:00 AM EDT, July 24. The keynote speaker is Professor Alex Pentland, MIT, and the moderator is Ramu Damodaran, Chief of Academic Impact of the United Nations, and Editor-in-Chief of UN Chronicle Magazine. AIWS.net hosts this event as an AIWS Roundtable.
The History of AI Initiative considers Trustworthy Economy a History of AI event also.
Press Release, Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation
Boston, July 1, 2020
Technology policy expert Marc Rotenberg will join the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation to launch a new Center on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy.
“We are thrilled that Marc Rotenberg is joining us,” said Governor Michael Dukakis. “We have worked with Marc over the last several years. We are all very impressed by his breadth of knowledge and his passionate commitment to fundamental rights and democratic governance.”
In 2018, Governor Dukakis called for a Global Accord on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and co-founded the AI World Society. Governor Dukakis also coauthored, “The concepts of AI-Government” and “Ethics Code of Conduct for Cyber Peace and Security.” Governor Dukakis works closely with many international organizations.
The Center on AI and Digital Policy, directed by Marc Rotenberg, will promote the new Democratic Alliance on Digital Governance and assess country practices for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy. Marc recently led global campaigns to establish a human rights framework for AI and to seek a moratorium on face surveillance.
“Marc’s global leadership on AI policy is widely admired,” said Dukakis Institute co-founder and Director Nguyen Anh Tuan. “We share a common commitment to safeguard democracy as new technologies emerge.”
Tuan is recognized globally for his pivotal role as a Vietnam Government reformer. He successfully fostered freedom-of-expression, vigorous open debate and private enterprise in Vietnam. Tuan launched the first Internet Service Provider in Vietnam and founded Vietnam’s preeminent online newspaper.
“It is an honor to work with Governor Dukakis, Tuan, and the fellows and scholars at the Institute,” said Marc Rotenberg. “We have a lot of work ahead. We must ensure that new technologies — and AI in particular — promote a better world.”
The formal announcement of the Center on AI and Digital Policy will be made at the Institute’s event on July 1st, 2020 – “Democratic Alliance on Digital Governance – Protecting and Strengthening Democracy in the Aftermath of COVID-19.” The event will feature political leaders, scholars, and thinkers from around the world.
About the Michael Dukakis Institute
The Michael Dukakis Institute was born in 2015 with the mission of generating ideas, creating solutions, and deploying initiatives to solve global issues, especially focused on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. Led by Chairman Michael Dukakis and Director Nguyen Anh Tuan, the Institute has emerged as a powerful voice in global policy, bringing together world leaders, scientists, thinkers, and innovators. A top priority now for the Institute is the development of a Social Contract that ensures that AI and other technological innovations advance the goals of democratic governance.
Co-founders and Mentors of AIWS.net – Governor Michael Dukakis, Professor Thomaas Patterson (Harvard), Professor Nazli Choucri (MIT), Professor Alex Sandy Pentland (MIT), Professor David Silberweig (Harvard), and Nguyen Anh Tuan – spoke and dialogued at the United Nations Charter Day Roundtable, organized by the United Nations Academic Impact to celebrate the 75-year anniversary of UN Charter Day. The roundtable was moderated by Ramu Damodaran, Chief of UN Academic Impact and Editor in Chief of UN Chronicle Magazine. Panelists presented the Social Contract 2020, A New Social Contract in the Age of AI and Intellectual Society.
This is a good foundation for a better world with peace, security, intelligence, and effectiveness in 2045 when the United Nations turns 100.
There were experts and journalists that attend and dialog, such as Ms. Ta Bich Loan, Chief of Vietnam National Television 3 (VTV3), Allan Cytryn, former CTO of Goldman Sachs, Barry Nolan 6 times Emmy Awards, Mariko Gakiya, Llewellyn King (White House Chronicle), Pham Trong Nghia, Vietnam National Assembly, Miyuki Inoue (Asahi), Anh Nguyen (VietNamNet), and others.
Ramu Damodaran wrote on his Twitter: “a fascinating event”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great disaster for humanity.
Today this disaster poses urgent problems to the world that need to be addressed to protect and strengthen Democracy.
This disaster stems partly from the fact that China’s leaders and political systems are secretive, have no transparency of information, do not cooperate with the United States and other democratic countries, and pressured the World Health Organization to delay recognition of the epidemic and to develop appropriate responses.
Mr. Vu Ngoc Hoang, a former leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam wrote: “China’s leaders often are scheming, treacherous, and devious and are a danger to and threatening the world peace and security. They are not trust-worthy, so there should not be any illusion that they will soon change their nature for the better. It will take forever; don’t send the chicken to the fox and hope for the best!”
China has also deployed new technologies for social control that are intended to stifle dissent, monitor private life, and enforce state authority. Of particular concern is the growing use of face surveillance which allows the Chinese government to track individuals in their daily lives and to observe and assess social and political networks.
This conference will discuss strategies and solutions to cope with these growing risks both in politics and economics and to find models of alliances or affinity to promote strengthen democracy around the world.
Panel 1: New Alliance, New Order, New Democracy
This panel discusses the risks of China’s undermining world democracy, of which Hong Kong is an example of the consequence. July 1 is also the anniversary of Hong Kong being handed over to China by the United Kingdom.
While governments of democratic states are fragmented, lacking a coherent strategy, united plan, or close cooperation to protect and strengthen democracy, parliamentarians have established Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). What role can IPAC play to rally democratic resources around the world? In the digital, Internet, and AI era, digital democracy has an important role in protecting and strengthening democracy.
After a year of research and development, the Boston Global Forum officially announced The Social Contract 2020, A New Social Contract in the Age of AI, on May 5, 2020. On May 12, 2020, the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid and the Boston Global Forum held a roundtable to discuss the Social Contract 2020 and risks to human rights stemming from governments’ response to COVID-19. On June 26, 2020, to celebrate 75 Years of United Nations Charter Day, the UN and BGF co-organize UN Charter Day Roundtable: A New Social Contract in the Age of AI. Participants in both events stated that the Social Contract is a good foundation to strengthen democracy and to preserve peace and security for humanity in the Age of AI. The Social Contract calls for the establishment of the Democratic Alliance on Digital Governance.
How should this Democratic Alliance be set up? What is the connection between IPAC, BGF, World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, and the newly established Global Partnership on AI? How do governments, businesses, and foundations support it? How should an initiative to build government and business monitoring and auditing system for digital democracy be developed?
What other international organizations should become partners in this new initiative?
How does one monitor the system of governments and businesses on digital democracy?How does one promote, link and unite all democratic power in the world?
The outcome of this panel will a report that outline ideas, solutions, and initiatives for governments, the UN, and international organizations.
Panel 2: New Supply Chain, New Economy, New Democracy
Insidious Chinese leaders and their political systems use a market of more than 1.4 billion people to pressure businesses and make the world economy dependent on China’s economy. The “Belt and Road Initiative” is creating economic dependencies that may weaken the ability of democratic states to maintain independence. Technologies for social control within China are now being deployed in countries that fall within the BRI regions. Most of all, there have been allegations that American finance and investment sectors are being manipulated by China … Now is the time to review economic relations with China. Is it possible that economic dependence with China lessens democratic values? What should be solutions for the world economy to not be dependent on China? Has Australia learned lessons from Chinese pressure, making it difficult for the Australian economy when the Australian government defends its democratic values and requests investigation of the Covid-19 pandemic?
The world needs a new and China-independent global economic strategy in which the undemocratic totalitarian dictatorship in China cannot compete and undermine democratic values through economic relations. What is that strategy? How will the new model be shaped? How does this new strategy leverage the fruits of AI and digital innovation? What should the combination of economic growth and the value of democracy and civilization of mankind look like? Is economic growth necessary at all costs, irrespective of democratic and other fundamental values?
The outcome of this panel is a report that outline ideas, solutions, and initiatives for governments, the UN, and international organizations.
From the opinions presented at this conference, BGF will synthesize and build initiatives, solutions, and action programs to protect and strengthen democracy.
Governor Michael Dukakis, co-founder of the Boston Global Forum and co-author of the Social Contract 2020, will speak at the United Nations Charter Day Roundtable, June 26, 2020. This event is co-organized by the United Nations Academic Impact and the Boston Global Forum (AI World Society Innovation Network – AIWS.net).
This is a special event to celebrate the United Nations Charter Day June 26. This is also the first roundtable of the series United Nations 2045 Initiative (100 years of United Nations), moderated by Chief United Nations Academic Impact and Editor-in-Chief of the United Nations Chronicle Magazine, Ramu Damodaran.
Governor Michael Dukakis was a politician and leader who made miracle stories in Massachusetts as a 3-term governor, and the Democratic Party Nominee for President of the United States 1988. Currently he is a distinguished professor of Northeastern University and UCLA.
Gov. Dukakis co-created: “World Leader in Peace and Cybersecurity” Award; “World Leader in AI World Society” Award, and the AI World Society Initiative. Together with Nguyen Anh Tuan he also established December 12 as the annual Global Cybersecurity Day. Gov. Dukakis also coauthored, “The concepts of AI-Government,” “Ethics Code of Conduct for Cyber Peace and Security (ECCC),” and the “BGF-G7 Summit Initiative Report.”
