G-7 ministers agree on five principles to AI responsible use

Ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations have agreed on five principles for developing agile forms of governance for emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in light of the rapid spread of AI chatbot uses worldwide.

The digital and technology ministers, who began a two-day meeting in the Gunma Prefecture city of Takasaki, northwest of Tokyo, also agreed on the urgent need to promote debate on standards for the responsible use of AI, according to Kyodo News.

The five principles of the rule of law, due process, democracy, respect for human rights and harnessing opportunities for innovation will be included in a joint communique to be released at the end of the meeting, which comes ahead of a G-7 summit next month in Hiroshima.

"While the advancement of AI technologies can make business of the government and the private sector more efficient and more productive, it could create unexpected challenges to democracy," Japan's Digital Minister Taro Kono said at the opening session.

The fast-moving pace of AI development has highlighted the need for international standards to govern the technology, with many countries stepping up regulations on the use of OpenAI's ChatGPT over privacy concerns.

But Japan's emphasis on generative AI's potential utility means the government has so far taken a more cautious stance toward regulation than Europe and the United States.
Last month, Italy imposed a temporary ban on the use of ChatGPT, citing concerns over the unauthorized collection of personal data, but authorities have since lifted the ban.

In addition to opposing uses that would undermine democratic values, the G-7 ministers are aiming to adopt an action plan to promote the responsible use of AI, calling for broad stakeholder participation in developing international standards.

The US company OpenAI's artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT was launched in November 2022. The service interacts with the user in dialogue mode. The chatbot can answer additional questions, acknowledge its mistakes, challenge incorrect assumptions and reject inappropriate requests. The service's capabilities have attracted a great deal of public attention. The novelty was criticised after it was used by students in different countries to take exams and prepare academic papers.