How AI is changing what sovereignty means

Context: Amidst competitive global politicking, as the world struggles to contain the toxic legacies of 2023 — cruel regional wars, civic conflicts and undeniable stories of anthropogenic harms — technocrats, ecocrats, and bureaucrats across the world continue to device and launch quiet initiatives portending a better and larger future for human rights.

Relationship between AI and sovereignty:

• The relationship between AI and sovereignty is evolving, with the concept of "sovereign AI" gaining prominence. This term refers to a country's ability to develop and control its own AI technologies, independent of foreign players.
• The pursuit of sovereign AI is seen as crucial for maintaining competitiveness and ensuring that AI development aligns with national values and regulations.
• India, for example, is actively working to establish its own "sovereign AI" to drive digital transformation and economic growth.
• The governance of AI is also becoming a transborder and multilevel issue, impacting corporate governance and the sovereignty of nations. The politics and geopolitics of AI governance are increasingly significant, as AI's applicability spans various cross-jurisdictional sectors.
• This trend underscores the importance of cross-jurisdictional cooperation and the development of ethical frameworks for the use of AI on a global scale.

Politics and geopolitics of AI governance

• The politics and geopolitics of AI governance are becoming increasingly significant, with the emergence of AI as a strategic technology. The governance of AI is a transborder and multilevel issue, impacting corporate governance and the sovereignty of nations.
• The pursuit of sovereign AI is seen as crucial for maintaining competitiveness and ensuring that AI development aligns with national values and regulations.
• The politics and geopolitics of AI governance are also influenced by superpower rivalries and the need for cross-jurisdictional cooperation. The U.S. and China are currently the two AI superpowers, but other countries are also asserting themselves in the global AI landscape.
• The governance of AI is a complex and evolving issue, with significant implications for global politics and power dynamics.

The key challenges in regulating AI at the international level include:

• Speed of AI Developments: AI is evolving rapidly, making it challenging for regulations to keep pace with technological advancements.
• What to Regulate: AI is a multi-faceted capability, and a "one-size-fits-all" regulation may either over-regulate in some instances or under-regulate in others.
• Regulatory Tightrope: Traversing the regulatory tightrope involves accepting that different AI applications pose different risks, requiring a risk-based and targeted approach to regulation.
• Lack of Consensus on AI Definition: There is a lack of consensus on the definition of AI, making it difficult to create universal regulations that effectively address the diverse landscape of AI technologies.
• Geopolitical Variations: Different countries and regions have distinct approaches to AI regulation, leading to geopolitical variations and potential challenges in aligning regulatory regimes.
• Industry Dominance: The private sector largely drives progress in AI, and governments often rely on big tech companies for AI development, posing challenges in ensuring regulatory independence and oversight.

These challenges highlight the complexity of regulating AI at the international level and the need for nuanced, adaptable, and collaborative approaches to address the diverse and rapidly evolving AI landscape.

To address these challenges and harness the potential of AI, countries can consider the following solutions and ways forward:

• Develop targeted AI regulations: Implement risk-based and targeted approaches to regulate AI, considering the diverse landscape of AI technologies and their potential risks
• Establish international cooperation: Encourage cross-jurisdictional cooperation to align regulatory regimes and ensure the development of universal standards for AI use
• Promote human values and rights: Ensure that AI systems are designed and used in a manner that protects privacy, anonymity, autonomy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms
• Foster AI competitiveness and sovereignty: Pursue AI sovereignty by investing in the development of advanced AI-enabling technologies and data, without being dependent on foreign players
• Address potential negative impacts of AI: Implement regulatory and policy interventions to protect citizens from potentially negative consequences of AI, such as auditing, oversight, transparency, and accountability
• Prepare for the shift in value creation: As AI transforms value creation from humans to machines, governments and industries must adapt to the changing landscape, addressing issues related to job losses, taxation, and the social impact of AI technologies