Ambassadors and Representatives of 14 G20 Countries Exchange Views on the Global Governance of AI

On May 28, 2024, the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University hosted the “G20 Assembly on AI Governance”. Ambassadors and official representatives from 14 G20 countries shared their respective views on how governance mechanisms for AI should be established at the global level and the G20’s role in this regard.

Secretary of State (Vice Minister) Manuel de la Rocha, Director of the Office of Economic Affairs and G20 of the Cabinet of the Spanish Prime Minister, outlined Spain’s position and achievements, highlighting the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration as an important milestone and the competitive potential of the Spanish language in AI development.

IE University Provost Manuel Muñiz welcomed participants and presented the AI4Democracy initiative, under which the Assembly was held. AI4Democracy, led by the Center for the Governance of Change in partnership with Microsoft, seeks to leverage AI to defend and strengthen democratic systems.

Roxana Radu, Associate Professor of Digital Technologies and Public Policy at the University of Oxford, provided an overview of existing global AI governance mechanisms, placing G20 efforts in context and providing recommendations for future action by the group. Prof. Radu will be producing a forthcoming policy paper on the topic.

Among the Assembly participants were: the Special Ambassador of Argentina to the G20; the Ambassadors in Spain of Argentina, Canada, Italy, and South Africa; the Deputy Chiefs of Mission of the Embassies of Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States; diplomatic representatives from India, Mexico, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom; and high-level representatives from the main tech industry associations in Spain.

Some of the key themes that were emphasized by participants during the discussion included: the key role of the G20 to facilitate international cooperation, the importance of public-private collaboration, the need to combine regulation and innovation, and AI's potential to promote sustainable and inclusive development, particularly in the Global South.

AI4Democracy is a global initiative led by the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University, with Microsoft as strategic supporter. AI4Democracy seeks to explore and promote ways to use AI to defend and strengthen democracy through coalition-building and intellectual leadership.