European Union and US to release voluntary code of conduct for AI

(Image: Reuters)

The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have said they will release a voluntary code of conduct for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and will ask "like-minded countries" to join them.

The goal is to establish common standards for AI in democracies as the debate on effective regulation of the technology rages on.

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Several prominent names came together recently and called for a pause on the rapid development of AI, till regulation can be established. In fact, one of the godfathers of AI has said he feels "lost" in regard to his life's work.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), that it was a matter of "fierce urgency" and invited other democracies to join the voluntary act.

"There's almost always a gap when new technologies emerge," said Blinken, in "the time it takes for governments and institutions to figure out how to legislate or regulate".

European Commission Vice-President, Margrethe Vestager, said that a draft of the act would be put forward "within weeks".

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Vestager hoped to bring, "as many onboard as possible", and in the, "broadest possible circle -- with our friends in Canada, in the UK, in Japan, in India".

In a joint statement by The White House and the European Commission, the two parties said that AI was a "transformative technology with great promise for our people, offering opportunities to increase prosperity and equity", but in order to ensure ethical usage they needed, "to mitigate the risks".