The Group of Seven advanced nations on Sunday agreed to promote "responsible" use of artificial intelligence as they seek to harness rapidly developing technologies such as AI bot ChatGPT that could be highly beneficial but also face privacy concerns and risks of being misused.
As exchanges of data become a key part of global trade, digital and technology ministers from Japan, the United States and European nations also affirmed during their two-day meeting in eastern Japan the need to establish an international arrangement to enhance the free flow of trusted data across national borders.
The gathering took place as the fast-moving pace of AI development has highlighted the need for international standards to govern the technology, with ChatGPT, developed by U.S. venture OpenAI, grabbing global attention since the launch of its prototype in November.
ChatGPT, whose users reached 100 million around the world in less than three months, was trained on massive amounts of data, enabling it to process and simulate human-like conversations with users.
"Given that generative AI technologies are increasingly prominent across countries and sectors, we recognize the need to take stock in the near term of the opportunities and challenges of these technologies and to continue promoting safety and trust," the G-7 ministers said in a joint declaration adopted after they wrapped up their talks in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture.
They also endorsed an action plan toward "creating open and enabling environments for responsible AI innovation," calling for broader stakeholder participation in developing international standards over AI governance frameworks, and promoting dialogue on topics such as risk assessment.
To promote so-called Data Free Flow with Trust, a concept proposed by Japan, the G-7 ministers noted the need to "accelerate and operationalize" the idea, saying that data is "an enabler of economic growth, development and social well-being."
The idea aims to enable the full potential of global economic growth without compromising the privacy and security of individuals and businesses.
Under the new institutional framework, the Japanese government is aiming to lay out a roadmap for future projects such as the creation of a base registry that businesses can use to reference other countries' data regulations.
The ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union also adopted separate action plans for internet governance and enhancing resilient digital infrastructure in light of geopolitical risks.
The former seeks to collaborate in addressing internet shutdowns, network restrictions and violations of human rights using digital tools, as well as fake news and other forms of disinformation seen, for example, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"We resolve to cooperate in making visible and tackling the tactics of digital authoritarianism" and "remain committed to protecting our democratic institutions and values from foreign threats," the statement said.
Concerns linger over digital authoritarianism seen in countries such as China, where surveillance and other high-tech tools are believed to be used to repress freedom of expression and violate other human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The G-7 also voiced commitment to constructing secure network infrastructure to support emerging and developing countries and promoting collaboration to improve the connectivity of undersea cables.
The joint statement cited five principles for policymakers to govern use of AI and other emerging technologies -- rule of law, due process, democracy, and respect for human rights and harnessing opportunities for innovation.
One of these emerging technologies is cyber-physical systems, which transmit information from the real world through sensors and other devices to the digital world, where the data can be analyzed to generate insights and control physical processes in the future.
This year's meeting was jointly chaired by Digital Minister Taro Kono, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Takeaki Matsumoto.
Ministers from India and Indonesia, this year's respective hosts of meetings of the Group of 20 major economies and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as Ukraine also attended the meeting.
