G7 launches AI innovation challenge to transform public services

 

Members of the G7 are creating an innovation challenge with the goal of unblocking AI adoption in the public sector.

The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, while the European Union also participates in its dicussion.

Following the G7 Leaders Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta in Canada, it was announced that Canada as G7 president would launch the G7 GovAI Grand Challenge. This will involve a series of “Rapid Solution Labs” to develop innovative and scalable solutions to the barriers the public sector faces in its adoption of AI.

Photo from NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization via Flickr

A G7 AI Network, known as ‘GAIN’, will also be established to advance the challenge, to develop a roadmap to scale successful AI projects, and to “create a catalogue of open-source and shareable AI solutions for members”.

In addition, relevant ministers are to be tasked with exploring “strategic investments for accelerating public sector AI adoption in transformative ways”, including for large language models and digital infrastructure, a G7 communique published by the Canadian government said.

“[The G7] commit to work together to accelerate adoption of AI in the public sector to enhance the quality of public services for both citizens and businesses and increase government efficiency while respecting human rights and privacy, as well as promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability.”

AI’s ‘benefits for society’

In the announcement – the G7 Leaders’ Statement on AI for Prosperity – members said they “recognised the potential of a human-centric approach to artificial intelligence to grow prosperity, benefit societies and address pressing global challenges”.  

As such, the countries also reiterated their support to enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt and develop AI – in part through a new G7 AI Adoption Roadmap; said they are committed to leveraging AI “to enable decent work while addressing challenges for our labour markets” such as in the cultural and creative sectors; and acknowledged the technology’s impact on, and prospects for, energy security.

“We recognise that increased AI adoption will place growing pressure on our energy grids… and have implications for energy security, resilience and affordability. At the same time, AI can be harnessed to promote energy innovation and bolster the resilience and reliability of our energy systems,” the G7 said.

The statement from G7 leaders added that they “hear the concerns of emerging market and developing country partners” about the challenges they face in building resilient AI ecosystems, including the risks of disruption and exclusion.

They said they would drive economic growth, address talent shortages, and ensure equal opportunity “by encouraging girls, as well as members of communities left behind by globalisation to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and increasing women’s representation in the AI talent pool at all levels”.

Source: Gglobal Government Forum