20 countries propose global oversight by for AI

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The countries, including Germany, South Africa, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, issued the joint statement as global leaders prepare to discuss the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI at the annual gathering of the United Nations general assembly.

The statement remains “open for endorsement” by other countries. 

It calls on governments and industry to act immediately to ensure that AI is developed in line with international law and remains under “human direction, oversight and control.”

The statement says: “To realise AI’s potential, industry, governments and society must act now.

“We must address these risks and strengthen oversight, without widening the gap between countries in access to the benefits of AI.”

The declaration urges countries to develop and co-ordinate common standards, share reports of serious safety incidents, and explore the establishment of an international institution to “set standards, enable verification, and convene states when capability thresholds are crossed.”

The declaration comes as the AI sector is engaged in a heated debate about safety following calls for a slowdown in development by top industry leaders.

In the latest intervention by the industry on Monday, OpenAI urged the United States to lead an international effort to develop technical standards for advanced AI.

“The US is well positioned to lead because its AI industry is at the technical frontier, and it still stands in a privileged global network position in critical areas such as finance, trade, defence, technology, and information systems,” the San Francisco-based company said in a blog post.

The UN-backed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI also added its voice on Monday to calls for the establishment of new safeguards.