G7 Japan 2023

Background

In May 2023, Japan will host the annual G7 summit in Hiroshima. Leaders of the world's largest advanced market democracies will meet to discuss the most pressing global concerns, including a range of critical economic and trade issues.

In AI and Democratic Values, CAIDP reported that the G7 is also the incubator for significant work on AI policy. In advance of the 2016 G7 summit in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged his government to develop policies for AI that could provide the basis for a global standard. The standards that he proposed became the OECD AI Principles, the first global framework for AI policy. PrIme Minister Abe also promoted Data Free Flows with Trust, an influential policy initiative that underscored the importance of data protection for transborder data flows.

Events of Interest

April 29-30, 2023 - G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting in Takasaki, Gunma

Venue: Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture

Digital Agency
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

AI at the 2023 G7

The Civil Society 7 (C7) Group is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G7 and represents positions from the international civil society. It provides a platform through which representatives from non-governmental organisations worldwide can network in order to develop policy recommendations and enter into a dialogue with the G7.

[CAIDP has joined the working group on open and resilient societies.]

Science and Digitalization for A Better Future

This task force focuses on science policy bottlenecks that are hindering the potential for scientific advances and digitalization to enhance human capital development, long term economic productivity, and system change.

It seeks to highlight the importance of approaching science and digitalization as international public goods. The task force’s agenda includes cross-border science and innovation policies, multilateral science financing architecture, digital infrastructure investment, digital security, connectivity and interoperability, and the development of frontier technology as a public good in fields such as biotechnology, spatial exploration, and polar research.

Suggested policy brief topics include: (i) the role of science, technology, and innovation in sustainable development and resilience across the G7 and Group of 20 (G20); (ii) cybersecurity and data privacy in a digitally connected world, digital education, and IT literacy and equality; (iii) the potential for science and inclusive methods and transformative innovation to generate sustainable food, water, and land systems at scale; (iv) and intellectual property rights regimes, their assets, and limitations.

G7 and Data Protection Authorities

G7 Data Protection Authorities: Promoting Privacy Internationally

19 September 2022

The data protection authorities of the G7 countries met from 6 to 8 September 2022 in Bonn under the chairmanship of the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Roundtable of G7 Data Protection and Privacy Authorities - Communique (8 Sept 2022)

[More from the French CNIL]

G7 Privacy Advocates and Privacy Authorities want to advance DFFT

The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI), Professor Ulrich Kelber, is satisfied with the outcome of this year’s G7 Roundtable of the data protection and privacy authorities: We have agreed to work together on the basis for a free and trusting flow of data, focusing on the protection of citizens’ personal data. For this path of the “Data Free Flow with Trust” or DFFT, we will advertise at our respective governments.

[More]

G7 data protection and privacy authorities’ meeting: communiqué (9 Sept 2021)

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) brought together data protection and privacy authorities from G7 countries, as well as guests from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), for a discussion this week on shared emerging challenges that need closer international collaboration.

Chaired by Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham, the meeting took place virtually on 7-8 September where G7 authorities agreed on a communiqué that sets out their commitment to cooperate in specific areas.

[More]

G7 Data Protection and Privacy Authorities Communique (Sept. 2021)

CAIDP Statements

Statement to the G7 on Artificial Intelligence, Data Protection, and Digital Free Flows with Trust (24 February 2023)

We welcome the opportunity to provide our input to the G7 for the upcoming 2023 G7 Summit and the Digital Ministers' meetings under the presidency of Japan. We applaud the G7 for its efforts to ensure human-centric and trustworthy AI and to promote fairness, accountability, and transparency in digital technologies. We also acknowledge the important contributions of the data protection and privacy authorities of the G7 member countries . . .

Beginning with the work of Prime Minister Abe, the G7 has encouraged the development of AI policies that support fundamental rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law. DFFT was intended to ensure the protection of personal privacy for transborder data flows. It is important to carry forward Abe’s vision when the G7 meets this year in Japan.

CAIDP recommends that:

The G7 reaffirm support for AI policies that advance democratic values, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.
The G7 establish actionable standards to measure progress toward these goals,
The G7 reaffirm support for Data Free Flows with Trust that safeguard personal data while promoting the free flow of non-personal information.
The G7 follow through on its commitment to create a Secretariat to provide information about best practices for DFFT that safeguard privacy and data protection.
The G7 strengthen its engagement with civil society organizations and provide meaningful opportunities for public input.

Statement to the G7 on Artificial Intelligence (18 May 2022)

The CAIDP has a well-established interest in the work of the G7 on digital policies. The G7 is the incubator for significant work on AI policy. In our 2021 report on Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Values, we identified the G7’s work as critical for AI policy development.

There is a growing understanding that ‘red lines’ are necessary to safeguard fundamental rights. Few AI applications are more controversial than the use of AI for surveillance in public spaces. The use of facial recognition on a general population has raised widespread controversy with many NGOs stating it should be prohibited. Other controversial AI applications include the scoring of citizens, criminal sentencing, administrative service decisions, and hiring assessments.

CAIDP endorses the G7’s strong statement against algorithmic bias. CAIDP also urges the G7 to identify key principles to minimize bias and risks in algorithmic decision- making systems.

CAIDP urges the G7 leaders to prioritize more representation of women and other underrepresented sections of society in AI development.

CAIDP Endorses the 2021 Recommendations of the G7 Data Protection and Privacy Authorities

CAIDP Notes the Need of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council to Move Forward Concrete Actions on AI Policy

CAIDP urges the G-7 to move forward the commitments set out in the 2021 Inaugural Joint Statement of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council regarding Artificial Intelligence Policy (Annex III) and specifically the need to combat algorithmic bias.

AI and Democratic Values - The G7

The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental political forum

consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The members constitute the wealthiest liberal democracies. The group is officially organized around shared values of pluralism and representative government. The G7 is also the incubator for significant work on AI policy.

In advance of the 2016 G7 summit in Japan, then Prime Minister

Shinzo Abe urged his government to develop policies for AI that could provide the basis for a global standard.91 At the subsequent meeting of G7 ICT ministers, Japan’s Communications Minister proposed international rules that would make “AI networks controllable by human beings and respect for human dignity and privacy.”92 She introduced eight basic principles Japans proposed for AI. These principles are very similar to those later adopted by the OECD and then the G20.

Prior to the 2018 G7 summit, France and Canada announced a joint

undertaking on Artificial Intelligence that led to the creation of the Global Partnership on AI.93 According to the Mission Statement of the two countries, the goal “will be to support and guide the responsible adoption of AI that is human-centric and grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity,

innovation and economic growth.”94

In advance of the 2019 G7 summit, hosted by France, leaders of scientific societies set out a declaration on Artificial Intelligence andSociety in which they stated, “Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the technologies that is transforming our society and many aspects of our daily lives. AI has already provided many positive benefits and may be a source of considerable economic prosperity. It also gives rise to questions about employment, confidentiality of data, privacy, infringement of ethical values

and trust in results.”95

At the 2021 G7 summit hosted by the UK, the G7 Leaders committed to work together for a “values-driven digital ecosystem for the common good that enhances prosperity in a way that is sustainable, inclusive, transparent and human-centric.”96 They called for a “human centric approach to artificial intelligence,” building on the work of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) advanced by the Canadian and French G7 Presidencies in 2018 and 2019.

The G7 Leaders committed to work together for a “values-driven digital ecosystem for the common good that enhances prosperity in a way that is sustainable, inclusive, transparent and human-centric.” They called for a “human centric approach to artificial intelligence,” building on the work of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) advanced by the Canadian and French G7 Presidencies in 2018 and 2019, and looking forward to the GPAI Summit in Paris in November 2021.

At the 2021 G7 privacy officials also issued a statement on Data

Free Flows with Trust.97 Regarding artificial intelligence, the officials said, “human dignity, must be central to AI design; AI must be transparent, comprehensible, and explainable; and the data protection principles of purpose limitation and data minimization must apply to AI.” They further said that “’red lines’ are needed for AI systems that are not compatible with our values and fundamental rights.”