Central Idea

G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan: Annual meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) countries was held in Hiroshima, Japan in May 2023.
Communique initiated Hiroshima AI Process (HAP): Official statement from the G7 leaders that established the Hiroshima AI Process (HAP) to regulate artificial intelligence (AI).

What is the Hiroshima AI Process (HAP)?

Inclusive AI governance: The HAP’s objective is to promote inclusive governance of artificial intelligence.
Upholding democratic values: The HAP seeks to achieve the development and implementation of AI systems that align with democratic values and are considered trustworthy.
Focuses Areas: The HAP prioritizes discussions and actions related to generative AI, governance frameworks, intellectual property rights, transparency measures, and responsible utilization of AI technologies.
Commencement: The HAP is anticipated to conclude its activities and produce outcomes by December 2023. The process officially commenced with its first meeting on May 30.

Liberal Process in AI development: The HAP places significant emphasis on ensuring that AI development upholds principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights.
High principles for responsible AI: The HAP acknowledges the importance of fairness, accountability, transparency, and safety as fundamental principles that should guide the responsible development and use of AI technologies.
Ambiguity with keywords: The specific interpretation and application of terms such as “openness” and “fair processes” in the context of AI development are not clearly defined within the HAP.

For now, there are three ways in which the HAP can play out:

It enables the G7 countries to move towards a divergent regulation based on shared norms, principles and guiding values;
It becomes overwhelmed by divergent views among the G7 countries and fails to deliver any meaningful solution; or
It delivers a mixed outcome with some convergence on finding solutions to some issues but is unable to find common ground on many others.

Intellectual property rights (IPR) as an example of HAP’s impact: Through the HAP, guidelines and principles regarding the relationship between AI and intellectual property rights can be developed to mitigate conflicts and provide clarity.
Addresses use of copyrighted materials: The HAP can contribute to shaping global discussions and practices concerning the fair use of copyrighted materials in datasets used for machine learning (ML) and AI applications.

Varying visions of trustworthy AI: The G7 recognizes that different member countries may have distinct perspectives and goals regarding what constitutes trustworthy AI.
Emphasizes working with others: The HAP underscores the importance of collaboration with external entities, including countries within the OECD, to establish interoperable frameworks for AI governance.

The establishment of the HAP signifies that AI governance is a global issue that involves various stakeholders and may encounter differing viewpoints and debates.