US rejects global AI governance

Washington, June 25 (IANS) The Trump administration on Thursday rejected what it called efforts to create a global governance framework for artificial intelligence, instead urging countries to pursue “innovation sovereignty” through partnerships among free-market economies.

Speaking at the second Pax Silica Summit in Washington, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg said governments should view artificial intelligence as an engine of economic growth rather than a technology requiring restrictive regulation.

“The declaration reflects a simple but important idea. Governments should not approach AI primarily through the lens of restriction. We should approach it through the lens of opportunity,” Helberg said while unveiling the Declaration on AI Opportunity.

He said countries were increasingly debating how to secure their technological future, but argued that the answer was not to recreate entire technology supply chains within national borders.

“Some governments have embraced the concept of digital sovereignty or the belief that countries should seek to build and control every layer of the supply chain stack within their own borders,” Helberg said.

“We believe that there’s a better path.”

Helberg introduced what he called “innovation sovereignty” as the alternative.

“The real measure of sovereignty in the AI age is not the ability to recreate yesterday’s technologies. It’s not even the ability to recreate today’s technologies. It is the ability to contribute to tomorrow’s breakthroughs.”

“It is what we call innovation sovereignty.”

He said innovation sovereignty meant creating conditions “for entrepreneurs to build, for researchers to discover, companies to invest, workers to thrive, and trusted partners to specialise, collaborate, and compete together at the technological frontier.”

Helberg said the vision underpinned both the AI Opportunity Declaration and the broader Pax Silica initiative, which he described as “an ecosystems-based vision.”

Speaking later, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the United States would continue to rely on private enterprise and trusted international partnerships to lead the next generation of technological development.

“The United States is a free market capitalist nation. Our strength comes from the freedom of free people and the most dynamic private sector the world has ever produced,” Landau said.

He argued that “governments didn’t build the frontier of technology here. Our companies did.”

“When the United States unleashes its private sector and partners with nations that do the same, no state-directed rival can keep pace,” he said.

Landau also criticised emerging efforts to establish international oversight of artificial intelligence.

“We must dispel the myth of AI global governance developing in organisations like the United Nations and the so-called World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation,” he said.

He said more than 20 countries now support the AI Opportunity initiative, which promotes what he described as a pro-innovation approach to AI regulation.

“We are ready to unleash the power of AI for the benefit of free market nations all over the world,” Landau said.

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a central element of strategic competition among major powers, with governments investing heavily in computing infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, energy capacity and critical minerals. Policymakers increasingly view AI leadership as a driver of economic growth, military capability and national security.

–IANS

lkj/dan