INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

The United States is committed to promoting an international environment that supports AI R&D, opens markets for U.S. AI industries, and promotes the development of AI technology in a manner consistent with our Nation’s values and interests. In particular, the United States supports international AI collaborations and partnerships that are grounded in evidence-based approaches, analytical research, and multi-stakeholder engagements that bring diverse perspectives together. The United States has long been a champion and defender of the core values of freedom; guarantees of human rights; the rule of law; stability in our institutions; rights to privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties; respect for intellectual property; and opportunities to all to pursue their dreams. The AI technologies the Nation develops and uses must respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, reflect these core values, and be devoted to helping people. The United States values collaborations with global allies to achieve these goals.

International AI activities of the United States include multi-stakeholder engagements through the AI work of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), G7 and G20 discussions, bilateral partnerships on AI research and development, and AI collaborations for defense.  The Department of State facilitates U.S. engagement on AI topics at these and other international forums. The United States also works with developing countries to promote the use of AI to advance healthcare, agriculture, economic growth, and democracy, and to help achieve sustainable development goals globally.  For example, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides a number of AI resources to help the developing world.

Setting the foundation for international engagement on AI, in May 2019, the United States joined with other OECD countries to advance common AI principles as outlined in the OECD Recommendation on AI. This recommendation formalizes principles for the innovative and trustworthy development and application of AI, marking the first time that the United States and like-minded democracies committed to common AI principles. These principles reflect many of the priorities championed by the National AI Initiative—priorities like removing barriers to innovation and discovery, prioritizing long-term R&D, building the AI workforce, and fostering public trust. In June 2019, the G20 also adopted these principles, expanding their impact around the world.  Building on the momentum of the OECD Recommendation on AI, the United States helps lead efforts at the OECD AI Policy Observatory, which combines resources from across the OECD, its partners, and all stakeholder groups, facilitating dialogue and providing multidisciplinary, evidence-based policy analysis in the areas where AI has the most impact.

Built around a shared commitment to the OECD Recommendation on AI, the United States and 14 other nations launched the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) in June 2020.  A multi-stakeholder initiative, GPAI brings together expertise from science, industry, civil society, governments, international organizations, and academia, with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of AI.  Working groups of experts at GPAI are currently focusing on responsible AI, data governance, the future of work, AI innovation and commercialization, and AI for pandemic response.

Through GPAI, like-minded nations (now numbering 19) are working together to ensure the development of AI in line with shared democratic values and human rights. The GPAI Secretariat is hosted at OECD to facilitate strong synergies between GPAI’s scientific and technical work and the international policy leadership provided by the OECD, strengthening the evidence base for policy aimed at trustworthy AI.

Given the important impact that AI is having across all sectors of society and the economy, AI has been a recurring theme at G7 and G20 discussions.   The United States has joined other nations in stating the importance of fostering public trust in AI and working together to promote the responsible development and use of AI.  Recent G7 and G20 statements include:

• 2020 G7 Science and Technology Ministerial Meeting (under U.S. Presidency): The United States and G7 partners issued a Ministers’ Declaration on COVID-19 stating an agreement to launch GPAI, including an initial focus on responding to and recovering from COVID-19.  The G7 nations further committed to the responsible and human-centric development and use of AI in a manner consistent with human rights, fundamental freedoms, and our shared democratic values.
• 2019 G7 Summit (under French Presidency): The United States joined with G7 nations to issue the Strategy for an Open, Free, and Secure Digital Transformation, noting the transformational impact that AI is having on societies, the global economy, and the future of work.
• 2019 G20 Summit (under Japanese Presidency): The G20 Leaders endorsed the G20 AI Principles in the Leaders’ Declaration to foster public trust and confidence in AI technologies and fully realize their potential.
• 2019 G20 Trade and Digital Economy Ministerial (under Japanese Presidency): The United States and G20 partners articulated G20 AI Principles drawn from the OECD principles and recommendation for trustworthy AI.
• 2018 G7 Innovation Ministerial (under Canadian Presidency): The United States joined with G7 nations to issue a joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence, recognizing “the interconnected relationship between supporting economic growth from AI innovation; increasing trust in and adoption of AI; and promoting inclusivity in AI development and deployment.”
• 2017 G7 ICT and Industry Ministerial (under Italian Presidency): The United States and G7 partners issued a Declaration noting the importance of the “vision of human-centric AI which drives innovation and growth in the digital economy”, as well as an outcome document on Human Centric AI for Our Societies that recognizes that “the rapid advancement of AI technologies has the potential to bring immense benefits to our economies and societies.”

Recognizing the importance of bilateral AI partnerships with strategic allies, in September of 2020 the United States and the United Kingdom signed the Declaration of the United States and the United Kingdom on Cooperation in AI R&D to advance our shared vision for AI and to work towards a mutually supportive AI R&D ecosystem. The cooperative arrangement between our two nations includes recommending priorities for future cooperation in R&D, unlocking commercial opportunities for AI technology, promoting researcher and student collaborations, and fostering public-private partnerships.

As part of the December 2021 Summit for Democracy, the United States and the United Kingdom announced plans to collaborate on bilateral innovation prize challenges focused on privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), which have the potential for tackling a range of societal challenges – from financial crime to public health. These prize challenges will build on the extensive innovation in these technologies that is already taking place in both countries across academia, industry, and government. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology are leading an interagency initiative to jointly develop the challenges with the United Kingdom’s expert body for trustworthy innovation in data and AI, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, who will lead a team of specialists from across the UK Government. The United States and the United Kingdom anticipate launching the prize challenges in the spring of 2022, with initial results ready to be shared at the second Summit for Democracy.