Global Partnership on AI Members adopt New Delhi Declaration

Defense news - The New Delhi declaration, unanimously adopted by the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), consisting of 29 member countries, highlights the imperative to address risks associated with the development and deployment of AI systems. The declaration emphasizes the necessity of ensuring equitable access to crucial resources for AI innovation, such as computing power and diverse high-quality datasets.

Despite recognizing the rapid advancements in advanced AI systems and their potential for economic growth, the declaration raises concerns about issues arising from these systems, including misinformation, unemployment, lack of transparency, fairness, protection of intellectual property, personal data security, and potential threats to human rights and democratic values.

The declaration applauds India leadership role as the Lead Chair for 2024 and its commitment to fostering collaborative AI projects among GPAI members. These projects aim to promote fair access to critical resources for AI research, encompassing computing power, diverse datasets, algorithms, software, testbeds, and other relevant resources while complying with intellectual property and data protection laws.

This achievement is particularly significant for India, which advocates a collaborative approach to AI system development, aligning with its global outreach for the digital public infrastructure (DPI) model. Additionally, gaining access to computing capabilities from fellow member nations aligns with New Delhi strategic plans to establish a sovereign AI system, countering dominance from a few foreign entities in this domain.

During a press briefing, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, emphasized the declaration goal of ensuring that the benefits of AI are inclusive and accessible to countries worldwide, including those in the Global South. The declaration, crafted after a five-hour ministerial deliberation, underscores the importance of a global AI framework rooted in democratic values, human rights, personal data protection, intellectual property rights, privacy, and security.

The GPAI, predominantly led by democratic nations such as the United States, the UK, France, Japan, and Canada, pursues a global risk-based approach to AI. Notably, China, a significant tech powerhouse, is not part of this multilateral group.

The declaration also marks the first meeting of GPAI members since the emergence of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google Bard. It underscores the pivotal role GPAI members will play in addressing contemporary AI challenges, including generative AI, through applied projects aimed at tackling societal issues and global challenges while maximizing benefits and mitigating associated risks.

Furthermore, GPAI members have identified AI innovation in the agriculture sector as a new thematic priority, aligning with India advocacy for prioritizing agriculture in AI innovation. The declaration recognizes the significance of promoting trustworthy AI applications for sustainable food production, resilient agricultural practices, climate change adaptation, and empowerment of workers in the agricultural supply chain.

In a bid to ensure a broad range of expertise and perspectives, the GPAI commits to pursuing a diverse membership, with a specific focus on low and middle-income countries. Senegal, an existing member, has been elevated to the steering committee of the GPAI, reinforcing the commitment to inclusivity and shared values.