The Group of Seven (G7) held their annual summit on June 13, 2024 at Borgo Egnazia (Fasano) in Apulia, Italy. The event brought together the Leaders of the seven member States; Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, as well as the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission representing the European Union. This summit allows the world’s advanced economies to discuss global issues and emerging crises.
The summit covered various topics including the insecurities in different regions and Climate Change, with a significant emphasis on Artificial Intelligence. This is not the first time that AI has been on the G7 agenda. In 2023, the Hiroshima AI process was launched by the G7 under Japan’s presidency in May 2023, with the aim of promoting safe, secure and trustworthy AI.
This year’s G7 summit took an unprecedented approach by inviting His Holiness Pope Francis to address key issues, particularly Artificial Intelligence. It is of no surprise as to why the pontiff is addressing issues related to this technology, given that he has been a target of multiple viral deepfakes and is concerned about AI’s ethical impact on humanity.
In his speech, Pope Francis said,” We will condemn humanity to a future without hope if we take away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines”. He pushed for greater human control and safe guarded space over AI technology to promote human dignity. He has over the years called for an AI regulation treaty, leading to the publication of the Rome Call for AI Ethics which big tech companies like IBM, Microsoft support.
The G7Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to harness the benefits of AI while managing its risks. Their communique, published on June 14, 2024, detailed several key points:
- Develop international standards for safe, secure, and reliable AI.
- They also aim to make AI rules which work together across countries and incorporate sharing best practices and information on how to regulate AI.
- Balance AI’s potential benefits with its risks while ensuring inclusivity.
- The G7 recognizes the need for responsible AI development and use across different sectors.
- They plan to encourage international cooperation and adherence to guidelines and standards for AI use.
- Develop and implement the G7 Toolkit for AI in Public Sector
- Focusing on potential risks while still encouraging innovation and growth.
- The G7 is creating a system to track how well organizations follow guidelines for advanced AI systems.
The G7’s approach emphasizes using AI for societal benefits, ensuring worker protection, promoting education and skills development, fostering economic growth, and encouraging international cooperation in AI development and adoption. The G7 Leaders hope to integrate AI in every sector by ensuring more regulations, collaboration and a united front in promoting AI-powered tools and products.
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