Page 19 - WEF Reoprt 2020

One such area is artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the UN’s International
Telecommunication Union, it will take
“massive interdisciplinary collaboration”
to unlock AI’s potential. But because
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AI can also bring significant risk,
multilateral cooperation is needed to
address challenges such as security,
verification, “deepfake” videos, mass
surveillance and advanced weaponry.

78 % Respondents

expecting “economic

confrontations” to
increase in 2020

Despite the need for a common set of
global protocols, AI has become a new
frontier for competitive geopolitics. In
2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin
said, “Whoever becomes the leader in
this sphere will become the ruler of the
world.” China has strongly encouraged
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companies to invest in AI, making it a
national security priority; AI is a pillar
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of its current five-year plan (2016–2020) challenges remain. Eleonore Pauwels of
for science and technology development the United Nations University Centre for
and its “made in China 2025” industrial Policy Research warns that “the resurgence
plan. In the United States, the Defense of nationalist agendas across the world
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Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence may point to a dwindling capacity of the
Center recently requested that its budget multilateral system to play a meaningful role
be tripled to US$268 million, citing the in the global governance of AI.” 24
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rapid development of AI capabilities by
China and Russia as a reason for urgency.
A coming decoupling?
There is some progress. Already,
stakeholders are coming together to Geopolitical turbulence related to trade
design shared protocols for AI. The World tensions and technological rivalries is part
Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth of a larger risk for the global community—
Industrial Revolution has worked with the the risk of the United States and China
government of the United Kingdom to decoupling. Together, these two countries
formulate guidelines for more ethical and account for over 40% of global GDP, and
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efficient procurement of AI. These guidelines they are the world’s leading innovators.
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will be piloted in countries across Europe, They are also the world’s top two emitters
the Middle East and Latin America. And, in of greenhouse gases. Expanding the
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May 2019, the OECD’s 36 member states global economy, addressing climate
adopted Principles on AI—the first common change and realizing the full benefits of
set of principles that governments have technology, therefore, depend on their
adopted—to promote AI “that is innovative ability to coordinate as part of a common
and trustworthy and that respects human global system that is capable of including
rights and democratic values.” However, other stakeholders.
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14 Global Risks 2020