AI and Global Governance: Modalities, Rationales, Tensions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a salient but polarizing issue of recent times. Actors around the world are engaged in building a governance regime around it. What exactly the it is that is being governed, how, by who, and why-these are all less clear. In this review, we attempt to shine some light on those questions, considering literature on AI, the governance of computing, and regulation and governance more broadly. We take critical stock of the different modalities of the global governance of AI that have been emerging, such as ethical councils, industry governance, contracts and licensing, standards, international agreements, and domestic legislation with extraterritorial impact. Considering these, we examine selected rationales and tensions that underpin them, drawing attention to the interests and ideas driving these different modalities. As these regimes become clearer and more stable, we urge those engaging with or studying the global governance of AI to constantly ask the important question of all global governance regimes: Who benefits?

Automated summary

This review examines different forms of global governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and considers factors such as ethical councils, industry governance, contracts and licensing. The importance of interests and ideas driving these factors is emphasized, and the article urges individuals to constantly question who benefits from global governance.