G20 leaders bat for 'responsible Artificial Intelligence', eye ethics-based regulation

NEW DELHI: Amid the rise of generative artificial intelligence, leaders from G20 countries discussed how to harness the technology to benefit development, while ensuring that safeguards are built in to check misuse.
Citing the example of AI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed to the massive scale and speed of new generation technology and highlighted the need to go beyond the "Principles on AI" adopted in 2019.
"I suggest we establish a framework for responsible human-centric AI governance. India will also give its suggestions. It will be our effort that all countries get the benefits of AI in areas like socio-economic development, global workforce, and research and development," he said. Ahead of the summit, Modi had flagged the importance of using AI in an ethical manner.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen suggested an oversight body similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with German finance minister Christian Lindner underlining the need to address the issue of ethics.
A government official said that during the deliberations one of the leaders wondered if AI "replaced or enhanced human skills" and suggested that it should be used in an ethical manner. Another called for facilitating beneficial aspects of the technology, while cautioning against the related risks associated with it.
Reflecting the discussions on the issue, the New Delhi Declaration, released on Saturday had said that G20 would work to ensure "responsible AI development, deployment and use." They also agreed to pursue a "pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach" that maximises the benefits of AI but takes into account the risks associated with it.
In recent months, regulating AI has become a major issue for discussion among policymakers.
Leaders from G7, the advanced countries group, have agreed on the need for governance, pointing to the risks that the technology poses. They have launched what is called "Hiroshima Process" to discuss the issue and present the results by the end of the year.