20 Nations Unite to Combat Major Disaster, Indonesia Has Not Yet Joined
Twenty nations, alongside the European Union, have proposed a historic step to control the development of artificial intelligence. In a joint statement released ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, these nations proposed the formation of a global supervisory body authorised to set standards and ensure compliance with regulations.
This move comes amid growing concerns that technological advancements are moving too rapidly without adequate oversight, according to a report by Al Jazeera. The statement was initiated by the President of Finland and signed by several world leaders across various continents, including Germany, Canada, South Africa, Australia, the United as Emirates, Singapore, Kenya, Norway, and Turkey. They called for artificial intelligence to remain under human guidance, supervision, and control.
The proposal includes unprecedented concrete measures:
Developing shared international standards for the development and use of artificial intelligence.
Sharing reports on serious safety incidents so that every nation can learn from the experiences of others.
Establishing a global supervisory body authorised to set standards, conduct inspections, and summon relevant parties if dangerous capability thresholds are exceeded.
Ensuring that these advancements are not only enjoyed by wealthy nations but are accessible equitably to prevent widening the gap between countries.
“We must address these risks while strengthening oversight, without widening the gap in access to the benefits of artificial intelligence,” the joint statement read.
Most notably, the United States and China, the two leading powers in the global AI race, did not sign this statement. Both nations have previously rejected calls to slow the pace of technological development for the sake of security. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet at the White House this week, with artificial intelligence expected to be a primary topic of discussion. However, so far, there are no signs that both parties are willing to agree on a shared regulatory framework. In addition to these two nations, other major powers such as the United Kingdom, France, Japan, South Korea, and India have also not signed the statement.
The pressure to regulate artificial intelligence is not coming solely from governments. Leaders of the largest technology companies are actually requesting the same. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for all companies to slow the development of the highest-level AI models to assess risks first. This call is supported by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk.
A hacking incident involving an AI system against the Hugging Face platform last month reinforced fears that systems developed without oversight could ultimately harm humanity. An independent scientific panel formed by the UN stated that the attack demonstrated that current security systems are no longer adequate. However, OpenAI has offered a different view, stating that the United States should lead the drafting of global standards rather than handing them over to a joint body.
This joint statement represents a significant moment for Indonesia and other developing nations. To date, AI regulations have tended to be created by the nations that possess the technology, while other countries merely follow them. The proposal for a global supervisory body provides an opportunity for the voices of nations with the largest populations to be heard.
Indonesia’s plan to publish an AI roadmap has long been advocated by the Ministry of Communication and Digital. It is reported that regulations will be issued through two Presidential Regulations (Perpres) concerning the ethics of AI use and digital security related to AI.