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Calice Becker, a French master perfumer at Givaudan, interacts with 'Carto', an Artificial Intelligence powered tool, in Paris, France February 10, 2020. Picture taken February 10, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

The importance and opportunities of transatlantic cooperation on AI

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a potentially transformational technology that will impact how people work and socialize and how economies grow. AI will also have wide-ranging international implications, from national security to international trade. In this submission, we address the significance of international cooperation as a vehicle for realizing the ambitious goals in the key areas of AI innovation and regulation set out in the European Commission’s white paper on AI. We focus particularly on the EU relationship with the U.S., which as both a major EU trading partner and a world leader in AI, is a logical partner for such cooperation.

The white paper talks to the importance of international cooperation. Specifically, the white paper observes that the “EU will continue to cooperate with like-minded countries, but also with global players, on AI, based on an approach based on EU rules and values.” The white paper also goes on to note that “the Commission is convinced that international cooperation on AI matters must be based on an approach that promotes the respect of fundamental rights, including human dignity, pluralism, inclusion, non-discrimination and protection of privacy and personal data and it will strive to export its values across the world.” The U.S. and the EU, as the world’s leading economies with strong ties grounded in common values, provide a strong basis for AI governance that can work for the EU and the U.S. and provide a model globally.

This submission is divided into two parts. The first outlines why transatlantic cooperation on AI is important. The second identifies three broad areas for transatlantic cooperation on AI: innovation, regulation, and standards, including with respect to data.

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