The Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) released today a “Memo to the President and Congress on Governance of Generative AI” and a “Memo to the President and Congress on Establishing U.S. Global Leadership in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence,” two parts of its fall report, “Generative AI: The Future of Innovation Power.” The full report will be released on September 12, 2023.
The “Memo to the President and Congress on Governance of Generative AI” discusses how the development of generative AI (GenAI) is evolving rapidly, while GenAI governance mechanisms are moving slowly. To meet this challenge, the United States must leverage existing governance mechanisms, explore new domestic approaches and authorities to address outstanding regulatory needs, and explore international governance mechanisms for addressing GenAI.
“The Governance of Generative AI Memo outlines concrete actions that the United States can take now and in the longer term to address the rising domestic and international challenges of generative AI, especially to harness its impactful benefits and mitigate the worst of its harms,” said Rama G. Elluru, SCSP senior director for Society. “We cannot let our policies and laws fall behind the rapid pace of AI innovation. The United States has a critical opportunity to shape the future of generative AI in accordance with democratic values and provide the world with an effective GenAI governance model.”
The “Memo to the President and Congress on Establishing U.S. Global Leadership in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence” calls for the Department of State to drive a whole-of-government effort to implement a foreign policy paradigm of “Platforms Statecraft” to ensure that the United States and its allies and partners can work together to develop and promote global technology platforms that reflect the transparent, rules-based principles of open societies. Simultaneously, the memo calls on the Department of State to adopt new GenAI tools to capitalize on their transformative power in executing its mission to advance American interests around the world, and to lead the development of new international regimes, institutions, and dialogues to build appropriate governance frameworks that can mitigate GenAI’s high-consequence risks and promote its positive-sum applications.
“American leadership in the GenAI world means getting right the governance models for managing GenAI’s challenges and opportunities at home – and abroad,” said Joe Wang, SCSP senior director for Foreign Policy. “To do this, the United States will need a foreign policy that prioritizes working with our allies and partners to promote safe, secure, and trusted global technology platforms to underpin GenAI tools, and building new fora and dialogues to promote GenAI’s benefits and mitigate its high consequence risks.”
For more information about the release schedule for the “Generative AI: The Future of Innovation Power” executive summary, the Governance and Foreign Policy memos or full report, or to learn more about SCSP’s upcoming 2023 Global Emerging Technology Summit, please contact SCSP Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Tara Rigler, at tmr@scsp.ai. For more information about SCSP, visit us on our website, and subscribe for regular newsletter and podcast updates here: 2-2-2.