Needed: AI Policy Centred on Workers

In enumerating the disappointments of the recent US “Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Policy,” Burcu Kilic observes that “tech companies tend to capture both policy forums’ and law makers’ hearts and minds with their well-established innovation narrative” but “the effects of any technology — whether it is accessible, equitable or harmful — depend on who controls the crucial decisions about its development and sets the agenda.”

Although “there is no definitive answer to how AI should be regulated,” Kilic writes that the Biden administration’s shift from a focus on prioritizing consumers to emphasizing citizens’ well-being may suggest a direction: “By placing workers at the heart of AI policy development, we can ensure a more equitable, just and prosperous future for all.”

In this piece co-published by The Walrus, Daniel Munro says “the idea that the space race was moving too quickly in the 1960s seems quaint. What was once a contest primarily between two superpowers angling for military advantage has become a crowded ecosystem of countries and commercial actors.”

The activities of not only the major spacefaring powers but also nearly 1,000 private companies are testing the limits of the Outer Space Treaty and other international agreements, making it “increasingly difficult to manage risks to the environment, the economy, and the lives of astronauts and people on Earth.” Munro argues that international cooperation is needed to address fundamental questions about “who should be permitted to put what in space, and at what cost to the current and future well-being of people and communities on Earth.”

“Conflict worldwide has surged to levels not seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Black swan events…are affecting the global economy more frequently, too. Making matters even more complex is the destabilizing fallout of climate change. And then there are the ever-evolving cyberthreats and the uncertain impacts of artificial intelligence. Given all this, national security has rapidly become a multilayered quagmire for policy makers.”

Kyle Hiebert writes that Ukraine’s experience has underscored the role broader society plays in protecting national security and that citizens and private business can make an enormous contribution. “The dynamics that imperil national security today will not disappear….It’s up to governments at all levels to engage with diverse elements of civil society and the private sector to devise collective solutions.”

The Digital Policy Hub at CIGI is a collaborative space for emerging scholars and innovative thinkers from the social, natural and applied sciences. Here are the first working papers from the winter 2024 cohort of Hub fellows:

Christelle Tessono: “AI Governance Needs a Climate Change Strategy”

Ivan Nuñez-Gamez: “Deterrence by Denial: Protecting Chinese Diasporas and Canadian Federal Elections from Chinese Interference”

Follow the links on the Hub webpage to learn more about the Hub scholars and their work!

We are seeking a Part-time Graphic Designer to join our Public Affairs team (three days per week; 12-month contract). The designer will be responsible for the layout and design of publications, digital media and motion graphics in support of CIGI’s research programs, public affairs and operations. The deadline to apply is June 28.

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