Global Governance: Goals and Lessons for AI

By: Brad Smith & Natasha Crampton (Microsoft On the Issues)

As discussions around AI policy grew last year, they became increasingly marked by references to some unexpected acronyms. Not the typical short names for new AI models or machine learning terms, but the abbreviations for various international bodies that currently oversee civil aviation, nuclear energy, and global financial flows.

This sparked our interest. We wanted to delve deeper and explore how the frameworks for regulating civil aviation might be relevant to technologies that would never be stored in a hangar or monitored by air traffic control. We were also curious about the nuclear agreements developed in a vastly different geopolitical era to regulate a technology that held promise as a tool but had only been deployed as a weapon.

History has repeatedly shown us that the way technology shapes our world is partly influenced by how well it is governed, and that international governance is essential for technologies that transcend national boundaries.

Now, we’re thrilled to introduce Global Governance: Goals and Lessons for AI, a compilation of external viewpoints on international institutions from diverse fields, alongside our own reflections on goals and frameworks for AI governance on a global scale. Through case studies and analysis, experts trace the history and evolution of organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Financial Stability Board, offering insights into their achievements and challenges to help guide the global governance of AI…

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