Hand in hand to deal with AI risks! G7 officials to hold first meeting on AI regulation next week

**Source: **Financial Association

Edit Bian Chun

Image source: Generated by Unbounded AI tool

G7 officials will meet next week to discuss problems posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, a senior Japanese official said on Friday.

Leaders of the G7 countries, including the United States, the European Union and Japan, agreed last week to create an intergovernmental forum called the Hiroshima AI Process to discuss issues related to rapidly developing AI tools.

Japanese Communications Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said G7 government officials will hold the first working-level AI meeting on May 30 to discuss issues such as intellectual property protection, disinformation and how AI technology should be managed.

The meeting comes as global tech regulators assess the impact of popular AI services such as ChatGPT from Microsoft-backed OpenAI.

Europe has been at the forefront of AI regulation. The European Union is currently close to passing a piece of legislation to regulate AI technology, which may be the world's first comprehensive AI law and is expected to become an important reference for the relevant legislative process in advanced economies.

In contrast, the United States has taken a relatively cautious approach to regulating AI. U.S. President Joe Biden said last month that the threat of artificial intelligence remains to be seen. Japan, on the other hand, has a more relaxed attitude towards artificial intelligence. The country has pledged to support the adoption of artificial intelligence technology in the public sector and industry, while monitoring its risks.

As this year's G7 presidency, Japan "will lead the G7 discussions on the responsive use of generative AI technologies," Matsumoto said, adding that the forum hoped to make recommendations for heads of state by the end of the year.

At last week's G7 summit in Hiroshima, leaders also called for the development and adoption of international technical standards to keep AI "trustworthy" and "in line with our shared democratic values." This is the first time in the history of the G7 summit to formally discuss the emerging technology of AI.

At the end of last month, the G7 member states held a meeting of digital and technology ministers. After the meeting, they issued a joint statement agreeing to adopt "risk-based" regulation of artificial intelligence. Five Principles - Rule of Law, Due Process, Democracy, Respect for Human Rights, and Capitalizing on Innovative Opportunities.