G7 industry ministers pledge to advance artificial intelligence for sustainable development

The Group of Seven (G7) industry ministers met for two days on Friday in the Italian towns of Trento and Verona. According to the ministers, using artificial intelligence (AI) in a safe and balanced manner is essential to attaining sustainable growth.

According to the Xinhua news agency, they also pledged to strike a suitable balance between encouraging innovation and the need for suitable safeguards in order to promote a safe, secure, and reliable AI.

In a closing statement, gathering members acknowledged that “we recognise that AI and other emerging technologies, if shaped to be safe, can be pivotal for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

The ministers said that tools had a “vast potential” to advance scientific discoveries, commercial prospects, productivity, and efficiency across a wide range of industries. The organisation also issued a warning, pointing out that digital technologies—including artificial intelligence (AI)—present a number of intricate issues, such as those pertaining to intellectual property safety, security, privacy, and protection.

They also mentioned the possibility of using AI-enabled devices and internet platforms to spread misinformation and hate speech, among other types of manipulation, which might widen socioeconomic gaps.

“These challenges and risks reinforce the need to integrate ethical considerations in relation to the development and use of such technologies,” they said.

Since Italy is hosting the G7 presidency this year, Alessio Butti, the Under Secretary of State for Technological Innovation in Italy, convened the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Industry, Technology, and Digital.

In addition to delegates from the European Union, the group consists of Canada, the US, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and Japan.

In the meantime, recently proposed laws governing artificial intelligence received approval from the European Parliament. There were 523 votes in support of the Act and 46 votes against it among legislators. There were 49 abstentions as well.

The law seeks to impose requirements on AI use in light of possible dangers and effects. It also aims to safeguard against high-risk AI basic rights, democracy, the rule of law, and environmental sustainability, all the while promoting innovation and elevating Europe to the forefront of the industry.