“The management of Artificial Intelligence technology should be the biggest priority for the international community.” To what extent do you agree?

The erosion of multilateralism since the turn of the century has been characterised by visceral geopolitical tensions and socio-economic struggles. A cascade of crises facing the international community continues to unfold at the precipice of a technological revolution, yet none of these threaten to permanently redefine the social contract as much as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recognising the breadth and gravity of AI’s underlying issues, the shortfall in its global governance and also its potential benefits underscore its paramount importance over other priorities. AI exhibits an ever-growing capability to transform our societies, catalysing change on multiple fronts. However, it stands at a pivotal juncture, as inherent structural weaknesses risk undermining its benefits and unravelling the fabric of our society. In the midst of a permacrisis (Brown, El-Erian and Spence, 2023), its management requires undivided attention to engineer a new era of radical abundance. 

The range of risks of unregulated AI is extensive and threatens to inflict irreversible consequences. Politically, it can harm democratic discourse, as the increased proliferation of misinformation has the potential to manipulate viewpoints and empower autocracies (Guterres, 2022). Ethical concerns also come to the fore, as AI is a technology that can perpetuate existing biases in data sets, driving increased unregulated discrimination. Social tension and anti-establishment support will further ensue if the predicted large-scale job displacement is not mitigated by economic equity. Re-skilling and re-distribution strategies will need to be elevated to the forefront of domestic policies to recognise the profound change in work brought by AI (Jones, Bucsher, Wallace, 2023). On the topic of shifting power dynamics, experts warn that Big Tech might become increasingly influential non-state actors in the international sphere (Chow, Perrigo, 2023) as ‘super firms – hubs of wealth and knowledge’ (Szczepański, 2019). The data they gather and optimize through AI can exploit consumers’ information and violate their privacy to drive higher profits (Acemoglu, 2021). What is even more concerning is that AI could introduce unprecedented security vulnerabilities. Malicious actors could circumvent safety protocols to execute cyber-attacks at scale, and use ‘drug-discovery tools to build chemical weapons’ (Centre for AI Safety, 2023) and, in more extreme scenarios, possess the ability to autonomously identify and select targets (Boden, 2023). Finally, another reason to prioritize the management of AI is to ensure that the future increase in energy required by this power-hungry technology is carefully optimized and sourced renewably. 

Having outlined the extent of the risks, a significant issue also looms over how to craft AI’s international governance. Large-scale debates and policy proposals continue to percolate throughout international institutions on this issue. While ‘Recommendations on the Ethics of AI’ (UNESCO, 2021) and AI principles (OECD, 2019) have been put forward, G7 leaders have recognised that regulatory responses are not ‘keeping pace’ (G7, 2023). While the EU AI Act (2023) is making the most significant steps toward a fair and ethical legislation¹, effective management remains reliant on urgent multilateral collaboration. The Centre for AI Safety (2023) has even called for a moratorium to arrest the development of new models until appropriate restrictions are put in place in order to avoid drastic consequences coming to fruition. Current regulations are clearly not adequate to effectively manage the potential downside, thus highlighting further the need to prioritise AI’s management. 

Despite the prevailing dystopian narrative, another reason why we should give precedence to global AI governance also comes from the positive “explosion in improvement of the human condition’ that it can ignite (Lowcock, 2023). Predicted to boost the global economy by over fifteen trillion dollars by 2030 (PwC, 2023) after years of low productivity since the global financial crisis, AI can revolutionise myriad sectors. The healthcare industry will benefit from faster detection of diseases, more personalised treatments, and advancements in medicines. The World Economic Forum (2023) also highlighted how progress in AI could transform education systems and make them more equitable, providing tailored teaching with virtual tutors (Kopp, Thomsen, 2023). Furthermore, through removing repetitive activities, job automation (cited more often as a negative outcome of AI implementation) will allow the workforce to invest time in more fulfilling activities and acquire new skills to prolong careers. Perhaps the shorter work weeks envisaged by John Maynard Keynes almost one hundred years ago (Keynes, 1930) could become a reality if the rewards of economic growth, driven by enhanced productivity, are fairly redistributed. Crucially, AI will also unlock solutions to combat climate change and solve water shortages, preserving communities and saving lives in a more sustainable world (Victor, 2019). Evidently the prioritisation of AI’s management will have the broadest repercussions on fundamental existential issues. 

In conclusion, the complex challenge of AI technology’s management must be at the forefront of the international community’s agenda. The urgent necessity for a new governance framework to preserve humans’ autonomy as free agents, before we even begin to consider AI’s mitigation and optimisation, is clear. At this critical threshold, what fundamentally elevates the management of AI to such prominence is the unpredictability of its transformation, the risk of its misuse and the breadth of its opportunities. 

¹ On 14 June 2023, the European Parliament reached a conclusive standpoint on the AI Act. The Act assigned AI applications to four risk categories: unacceptable, high, limited and minimal. As the level of risk increases, so do the legal obligations.

by Niccolo Silvestri, King’s College School Wimbledon

Reference List

(All sites accessed between 13 September – 9 October 2023) 

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Brown, G., El-Erian, M. and Spence, M. 2023. “Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a  Fractured World”. London: Simon & Schuster UK. 

Chow, A., Perrigo, B. 2023, “The AI Arms Race Is Changing Everything” Times  Online, [Online], 17th February. Available at: https://time.com/6255952/ai-impact chatgpt-microsoft-google/ 

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Lowcock, M. 2023, “The World’s Most Beautiful Picture“, Talk at KCS Wimbledon,  5th October. 

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Szczepański, M. 2019, “Economic impacts of artificial intelligence (AI)” European  Parliamentary Research Service, [Online]. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/637967/EPRS_BRI(201 9)637967_EN.pdf 

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