US rejects global AI governance, calls AI tech ‘revolutionary for war and peace’

The US has vehemently rejected all efforts towards global governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and proposed "sovereign AI ecosystems," stating that "responsible diffusion of AI" is the way forward

at the United Nations on Wednesday (September 24).

Michael Kratsios, assistant to the US President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), White House, said that the US is in pursuit of making American AI the global gold standard for the tech.

It would then enable allies and trade partners to build their own sovereign AI ecosystems through American AI Exports Program to deploy full-stack AI technology packages.

"We totally reject all efforts by international bodies to assert centralized control and global governance of AI," Kratsios said at the UN Security Council during the open debate on AI. 

"AI technology will have revolutionary applications for war and for peace and that it rejects," he said highlighting the tech capabilities to facilitate better, faster decision making and enhanced situational awareness for warfighters and statesmen.

He argued that bureaucratic mismanagement and overregulation of AI stifles innovation and poses threats of misusing AI tools for tyranny and conquest.

His speech hinted that if a global governance were put in place, demands for social equity and heeding to dangers of climate change could hinder US ambitions of pursuing its AI Action Plan announced just two months ago. The plan highlights building an AI infrastructure and about 90 policy recommendations to establish US lead in the global race for AI dominance.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reminded the gathering of world leaders that it is in their hands to make wiser decisions on the future of AI.

He reminded the words of Geoffrey Hinton, known as the ‘Godfather of AI’ who likened AI to "a very cute tiger cub.”

“This tiger cub before us may well grow into a predator that devours us, or it may become a beloved companion like Derpy from KPop Demon Hunters,” Myung added.

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