OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria spoke this week at the G-20 Digital Economy Ministers Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Secretary Gurria, addressing the global challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, urged countries to “use digital technologies to build our economies back in a better way: more resilient, inclusive and sustainable.” He also spoke about the need to bridge the digital divide, to shift to smart mobility practices, and to continue work on measurement of the digital economy. And he promoted the OECD AI Principles, which were endorsed last year by G-20 nations at the summit in Osaka,
“As this year’s G20 AI Dialogue showed,” Secretary Gurria said, “AI’s full potential is still to come. To achieve this potential we must advance a human-centred and trustworthy AI, that respects the rule of law, human rights, democratic values and diversity, and that includes appropriate safeguards to ensure a fair and just society. This AI is consistent with the G20 AI Principles you designed and endorsed last year, drawing from the OECD’s AI Principles.”
The OECD has long been at the forefront of global policy for new technology. Beginning with the influential OECD Privacy Guidelines of 1981, the OECD has set out policy frameworks for cryptography, computer security, risk assessment, consumer protection, and more. Although OECD principles are non-binding they have influenced the development of national law and international agreements. The OECD AI Principles, adopted in 2019, seek to promote:
- Inclusive growth, sustainable development and well-being.
- Human-centred values and fairness.
- Transparency and explainability.
- Robustness, security and safety.
The OECD has also established the OECD AI Policy Observatory to help countries monitor the responsible development of trustworthy AI systems for the benefit of society.
The work of the OECD reflects a powerful commitment to both economic growth and democratic values. In 2018, Secretary Gurria, received the World Leader in AIWS award from the AI World Society at the Boston Global Forum-G7 Summit Conference
Marc Rotenberg, Director
Center for AI and Digital Policy
“The Center for AI and Digital Policy, founded in 2020, advises governments on technology policy.”
