2:00 JST, May 4, 2024
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s move to create a broader international framework for the rules and use of generative artificial intelligence was motivated by the need for support from more like-minded countries as the risk of disinformation increases.
The government wants to lead the international community in establishing global rules and technical solutions to reduce the risks of AI.
“We must also face the dark side of AI, such as the risk of disinformation,” Kishida said at a side event on generative AI ahead of the opening ceremony of Thursday’s meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. “There is an urgent need for international governance.”
Kishida’s message was welcomed by Mathias Cormann, Secretary General of the OECD, who said the results of the Hiroshima AI process should be continued and further developed. Others at the meeting also expressed support for the framework, with a delegate from Singapore saying they were “proud to have become a member”. A Mexican official said: “We need measures against disinformation, and we have high expectations for cooperation.”
In 2023, Japan chaired the Group of Seven leading economies and proposed the Hiroshima AI process. This was the first comprehensive international agreement reached on AI and laid the foundation for the global community to address issues such as the unregulated development of AI, misuse of the technology and the spread of disinformation. However, China, Russia and other authoritarian states have shown a willingness to shake up democracies. In April, American technology giant Microsoft Corp. indicate that China and Russia have begun using social media and generative AI to influence the outcome of the US presidential election in November.
More countries are participating
To fight back, democracies will need to find more support for the Hiroshima AI process. The Japanese government plans to seek support from OECD members, many of which have similar values in this area, and then seek support from other countries.
About 40 countries and territories had agreed to participate in the new international framework from mid-April. The Prime Minister’s Office directed government officials to put more pressure on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, prompting more countries, including ASEAN chairman Laos, to join the framework. After his visit to France, Kishida arrived in Brazil to call for cooperation on the framework. Brazil is the current chairman of the Group of 20.
However, an international framework involving China and Russia appears highly unlikely, and some countries, concerned about their relations with Beijing and Moscow and wary of Western European-led regulations, reportedly hesitated to join, despite Japan’s insistence.
To curb the actions of aggressive states, the framework will need as many countries as possible to support it.
“We will use summits, international conferences and other forums to encourage even more countries that share our values to participate,” a senior State Department official told The Yomiuri Shimbun.
