Last week, the U.S. joined Global Partnership on AI, an international organization that will advise companies and governments on the responsible development of artificial intelligence, becoming the last of the Group of Seven countries to sign on. In connection with this occasion, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
In his op-ed, he left little doubt whom the White House sees as the primary target of the alliance. “AI is being twisted by authoritarian regimes to violate rights,” Kratsios wrote, adding that as “the world begins to recover from the pandemic, nations face a stark choice about what vision of artificial intelligence will prevail.”
The White House is no fan of Europe’s plan to write rules for artificial intelligence, which it has previously described as “heavy handed” and “innovation-killing.” But in the face of an adversary like China, Washington would prefer to find common ground with Brussels. “Chinese technology companies are attempting to shape international standards around facial recognition and surveillance at the United Nations International Telecommunication Union,” (ITU) the op-ed warned. “It is critical that America stand alongside those who share and promote our values and push back on such efforts.”
The White House wants allies to join forces and step up their game at the ITU to make sure China alone does not get to set group’s standards, which tend to be adopted as policy by developing nations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Kratsios compared the new AI partnership to past U.S.-led efforts to contain China’s influence over 5G wireless technology. Within the GPAI, Western allies should work on a joint reply to China’s efforts to write the global rules for AI — following the examples of the “Prague Proposals” on 5G security, which was drafted by security experts in May 2019, or the “Blue Dot Network,” which was launched in November 2019 and widely perceived as an answer to China’s Road & Belt initiative.
Author: Michael Kratsios, Janosch Delcker