Fulfilling the Promise of the Digital Age
Fairfax, VA: The World Innovation, Technology and Services(WITSA) applauds several recent efforts on building a global consensus among governments, industry and other stakeholders on how to promote the safe and responsible use of AI. “We welcome the UK’s November 1-2 Global AI Safety Summit for its dialogue and cooperation between governments and the tech sector,” stated WITSA Chairman Dato’ Dr. Sean Seah. “The summit showcased AI principles and a code of conduct that are based on the G7 countries’ Hiroshima AI process, which took into account industry feedback and offered a framework for a careful, trustworthy approach to the creation and adoption of AI. The Summit promoted a common vision of AI safety around the world; brought together global government leaders, tech industry representatives, and other stakeholders; and showed that collaboration can achieve shared outcomes on AI safety.”
Preceding the U.K. AI Safety Summit, the G7 countries produced an International Guiding Principles for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems and a Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI systems. “We welcome these initiatives as a good first step toward a risk-based approach to AI governance,” stated WITSACEO Dato’ Dan E. Khoo. “As multilateral processes progress, including through two more AI Safety Summits planned in 2024 in South Korea and France, we encourage governments to continue to seek industry’s input. WITSA looks forward to working with global governments, academia and civil society to advance key outcomes from these events to ensure that advanced models and AI in general can be used for the benefit of all.”
“WITSA also recognizes the recent U.S. White House executive order on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which, along with other countries moving forward with their own AI laws and regulations, demonstrates that policymakers around the world are increasingly taking AI oversight seriously as they seek to protect both consumers and businesses,” stated WITSA Deputy Chairman Robert Janssen, Chairman of WITSA’s AI task force. “WITSA commits to working with governments and regulators as well as international organizations to establish appropriate and timely policy and regulatory frameworks that facilitate the responsible and ethical use of AI that balance innovation with the protection of human rights, privacy and societal well-being. When policymakers decide that regulation is necessary, they should consult WITSA’s key policy principles as laid out in its ‘Building Trust and Delivering on the Promise of Artificial Intelligence’ paper,” continued Mr. Janssen.
“Whether the promise of AI delivers on its potential depends on how well the AI ecosystem, governments and other stakeholders manage perceived risks while fostering a regulatory environment that encourages innovation, best practices, consensus standards and international collaboration,” said Doug Johnson, Chairman of WITSA’s Global Policy Action Committee, and Vice President of Emerging Technology Policy at the Consumer Technology Association.
