STOCKHOLM: The European Union (EU) and United States announced on Wednesday their plans to collaborate on drafting a voluntary code of conduct for artificial intelligence (AI) in the coming weeks. The code aims to encourage fellow democratic nations to join in regulating the emerging technology, particularly in response to China’s growing influence in the field.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following talks with EU officials in Sweden, expressed a sense of urgency to act in light of the rapid advancement of AI. Blinken stated that the voluntary code would be open to “like-minded countries” and hoped for broad participation from nations such as Canada, the UK, Japan, and India.
European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager emphasized the importance of demonstrating that democracies can effectively regulate AI for the benefit of citizens. She expressed hope for a broad alliance in shaping the code of conduct.
The Trade and Technology Council, established in 2021 to address trade tensions between the EU and the US, has shifted its focus towards AI. During the talks, Sam Altman, the creator of the AI-driven ChatGPT bot from OpenAI, participated in discussions on AI regulation.
EU and US Acknowledge Transformative Potential of AI
In a joint statement, the EU and the US acknowledged the transformative potential of AI while emphasizing the need to manage its risks. The statement reaffirmed their commitment to a risk-based approach and highlighted cooperation on AI standards, tools for trustworthy AI, and risk management.
While the EU has been progressing with the world’s first AI regulations, including a ban on biometric surveillance and ensuring human control, they are not expected to come into effect before 2025. The US, on the other hand, has yet to enact comprehensive AI regulations, despite growing calls to do so.
Technology leaders, including Altman, issued a joint statement underscoring the need for global regulation of AI to mitigate the risks it poses. They emphasized that addressing AI’s potential risks should be a global priority akin to other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.
The popular AI-driven ChatGPT bot developed by OpenAI gained significant attention for its ability to generate essays, poems, and conversations with minimal input.