EU-US Trade and Technology Council

TTC and Artificial Intelligence Policy

 

"The European Union and the United States acknowledge that AI technologies yield powerful advances but also can threaten our shared values and fundamental freedoms if they are not developed and deployed responsibly or if they are misused. The European Union and the United States affirm their willingness and intention to develop and implement AI systems that are innovative and trustworthy and that respect universal human rights and shared democratic values"

 

- EU-US Trade and Technology Council, Joint Inaugural Statement (Sept. 29, 2022)

News

Fourth Ministerial Meeting (30-31 May 2023)

 

Key Outcomes (excerpt)

 

3. Defending human rights and values, and combatting foreign information manipulation and interference

 

The EU and US agreed on: 

  • a list of high-level principles for online platforms on the protection and empowerment of minors and on data access for researchers
  • a common methodology for identifying, analysing and countering foreign information manipulation and interference, to be made available to stakeholders globally
  • support for capacity building in countries in Africa, Latin America, and EU Neighbourhood to fight foreign information manipulation and interference 

Trade and Technology Council Fourth Ministerial – Annex II Transparent and accountable online platforms

 

Trade and Technology Council Fourth Ministerial – Annex on Foreign information manipulation and interference in third countries

 

Working Group 6 - Misuse of Technology Threatening Security and Human Right

The Misuse of Technology to Threaten Security and Human Rights working group is tasked to combat arbitrary or unlawful surveillance, including on social media platforms; explore building an effective mechanism to respond to Internet shutdowns, in conjunction with the G7 and others likeminded countries; work to protect human rights defenders online; and increase transatlantic cooperation to address foreign information manipulation, including disinformation, and interference with democratic processes, while upholding freedom of expression and privacy rights. The working group is tasked to address social scoring systems and to collaborate on projects furthering the development of trustworthy AI.

 

Source: EU-US Trade and Technology Council, Inaugural Statement, Section 3 (Future Scope of Work)

Statement on AI (Appendix III)

  1. The European Union and the United States believe that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have the potential to bring substantial benefit to our citizens, societies and economies. AI can help tackle significant challenges societies face, transform industries, and improve the quality of our lives.
  1. The European Union and the United States acknowledge that AI-enabled technologies have risks associated with them if they are not developed and deployed responsibly or if they are misused.
  1. The European Union and the United States affirm their willingness and intention to develop and implement trustworthy AI and their commitment to a human-centred approach that reinforces shared democratic values and respects universal human rights, which they have already demonstrated by endorsing the OECD Recommendation on AI. Moreover, the European Union and the United States are founding members of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, which brings together a coalition of like-minded partners seeking to support and guide the responsible development of AI that is grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, economic growth, and societal benefit.
  1. The European Union and the United States are committed to working together to ensure that AI serves our societies and economies and that it is used in ways consistent with our common democratic values and human rights. Accordingly, the European Union and the United States are opposed to uses of AI that do not respect this requirement, such as rights-violating systems of social scoring.
  1. The European Union and the United States have significant concerns that authoritarian governments are piloting social scoring systems with an aim to implement social control at scale. These systems pose threats to fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, including through silencing speech, punishing peaceful assembly and other expressive activities, and reinforcing arbitrary or unlawful surveillance systems.
  1. The European Union and the United States underline that policy and regulatory measures should be based on, and proportionate to the risks posed by the different uses of AI.
  1. The United States notes the European Commission's proposal for a risk-based regulatory framework for AI. The framework defines high-risk uses of AI, which are to be subject to a number of requirements. The EU also supports a number of research, innovation and testing projects on trustworthy AI as part of its AI strategy.
  1. The European Union notes the US government's development of an AI Risk Management Framework, as well as ongoing projects on trustworthy AI as part of the US National AI Initiative.
  1. We are committed to working together to foster responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI that reflects our shared values and commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all our citizens. We seek to provide scalable, research-based methods to advance trustworthy approaches to AI that serve all people in responsible, equitable, and beneficial ways.

Areas of cooperation

 

The European Union and the United States want to translate our common values into tangible action and cooperation for mutual benefit.

  • The European Union and the United States are committed to the responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI and intend to continue to uphold and implement the OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence. The European Union and the United States seek to develop a mutual understanding on the principles underlining trustworthy and responsible AI.
  • The European Union and the United States intend to discuss measurement and evaluation tools and activities to assess the technical requirements for trustworthy AI, concerning, for example, accuracy and bias mitigation.
  • The European Union and the United States intend to collaborate on projects furthering the development of trustworthy and responsible AI to explore better use of machine learning and other AI techniques towards desirable impacts. We intend to explore cooperation on AI technologies designed to enhance privacy protections, in full compliance with our respective rules, as well as additional areas of cooperation to be defined through dedicated exchanges.
  • The European Union and the United States intend to jointly undertake an economic study examining the impact of AI on the future of our workforces, with attention to outcomes in employment, wages, and the dispersion of labour market opportunities. Through this collaborative effort, we intend to inform approaches to AI consistent with an inclusive economic policy that ensures the benefits of technological gains are broadly shared by workers across the wage scale. 

Background (US)

[From the US State Department]

"Presidents Biden, von der Leyen, and Michel established the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) at the June 2021 U.S.-EU Summit. Building on shared democratic values and the world’s largest economic relationship, the United States looks forward to working with the EU to ensure trade and technology policies and the rules of the road deliver for our people. The TTC aims to demonstrate to the world how democratic and market-oriented approaches to trade, technology, and innovation can improve the lives of our citizens and be a force for greater prosperity.

 

"A key goal is to lead global, like-minded partners in promoting an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable digital space, and to remain leaders in developing and protecting tomorrow’s technology. Through the TTC, the United States and the EU can work together toward a safer and more prosperous world with growth guided by principles of sustainable development, environmental protection, and urgent action to confront the climate crisis.

 

Our shared goals in the TTC are to:

  • Cooperate in the development and deployment of new technologies based on shared democratic values, including respect for human rights.
  • Ensure that trade policies and the deployment of emerging technologies are informed by national security and scientific priorities as well as by economic and commercial priorities.
  • Increase the competitiveness of the transatlantic economy and ensure our joint leadership in setting global norms for emerging and other critical technologies that are based upon our shared democratic values.
  • Maintain U.S. and allied leadership in science and technology while countering authoritarian influence in the digital and emerging technology space.
  • The TTC will provide a framework to promote cross-agency, whole-of-government coordination on U.S. and EU approaches to key global trade and technology issues, to deliver security and prosperity for our citizens.

President Biden delegated the TTC to three U.S. co-chairs:

  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
  • U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and
  • U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

The EU co-chairs are:

  • European Commission Executive Vice-President and EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, and
  • European Commission Executive Vice-President and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

Working Groups (US)

The TTC has stood up 10 working groups, co-led by relevant Departments, Agencies and Services of the U.S. Government and European Commission. These working groups will focus on tech standards, climate and green tech, secure supply chains, information and communications technology and services (ICTS) security and competitiveness, data governance and tech platform regulation, misuse of technology threatening security and human rights, export controls, investment screening, promoting SME access to and use of digital technologies, and global trade challenges. Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of these efforts.  Stakeholders may connect with five of the ten U.S. working groups at the below listed email.  

TTC Contact Information - US

The U.S. government officials participating in the TTC can be contacted by using the appropriate email address.

 

To contact U.S. TTC participants: 

  • TTC_US@doc.gov 

To contact the U.S. TTC about U.S. led TTC events:

  • TTC_Events@doc.gov 

To contact the U.S. TTC working groups*: 

  • TTC_Export_Controls@doc.gov 
  • TTC_SME_Access@doc.gov 
  • TTC_ICTS@doc.gov 
  • TTC_Secure_Supply_Chains@doc.gov 
  • TTC_Tech_Standards@doc.gov 

*Note:  To contact the U.S. Government leads of the other five working groups, please email TTC_US@doc.gov.

 

Other useful email addresses:

  • Department of Commerce, Office of Public Affairs publicaffairs@doc.gov

Third Ministerial Meeting - Dec. 5, 2022

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Roadmap and Pilot Project on Privacy-Enhancing Technologies and Collaboration on AI and Computing Research for the Public Good

 

To fulfill our commitment on developing and implementing trustworthy AI, the United States and the European Union have issued a first Joint Roadmap on Evaluation and Measurement Tools for Trustworthy AI and Risk Management (AI Roadmap) and collected perspectives from relevant stakeholders. This roadmap will inform our approaches to AI risk management and trustworthy AI on both sides of the Atlantic, and advance collaborative approaches in international standards bodies related to AI. In conjunction with this effort, we aim to build a shared repository of metrics for measuring AI trustworthiness and risk management methods, which would support ongoing work in other settings such as the OECD and GPAI. Our cooperation will enable trustworthy AI systems that enhance innovation, lower barriers to trade, bolster market competition, operationalise common values, and protect the universal human rights and dignity of our citizens.

 

Recognising the importance of privacy in advancing responsible AI development, the European Union and the United States will work on a pilot project to assess the use of privacy-enhancing technologies and synthetic data in health and medicine, in line with applicable data protection rules.

 

A joint study on the impact of AI on the workforce was finalised, with EU and US case studies on hiring and logistics.

 

The European Commission and the United States intend to bring together experts to explore collaboration on research projects in artificial intelligence and computing, that can benefit other partner countries and the global scientific community. This cooperation will aim at jointly addressing challenges in key focus areas, such as extreme weather and climate forecasting; health and medicine; electric grid optimisation; agriculture optimisation; and emergency response management.

Recent Events

First Ministerial Meeting (Sept. 29, 2021)

At the first meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Pittsburgh, the EU and the US agreed on concrete deliverables and outlined the future scope of work. Notably, the EU and the US committed to cooperating closely on shared priorities such as export controls, foreign investment screening, critical and emerging technology standards including Artificial Intelligence, and secure supply chains including on semiconductors. They also agreed to work together on important global trade issues, such as the challenges posed by non-market economies and trade-related climate and environment issues, as well as avoiding unnecessary trade barriers on new technologies and promoting fundamental labour rights.

Second Ministerial Meeting (May 2022)

The EU and the US have today reaffirmed their close cooperation to address global trade and technology challenges in line with their shared commitment to democracy, freedom and human rights. Meeting at the second Ministerial Meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Paris, both parties reiterated the central role of the TTC for the renewed transatlantic partnership, which has already served to coordinate joint measures being taken by the EU and the US in face of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. . . .

 

Artificial Intelligence - Both parties further discussed the implementation of common AI principles and agreed to develop a joint roadmap on evaluation and measurement tools for trustworthy AI and risk management.

News

TTC Announcements

CAIDP Statement to the TTC (Dec. 2022)

We write to you, on behalf of the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), regarding the upcoming meeting of the US-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Washington, DC, and the need to advance democratic values and universal human rights in the transatlantic alliance. . . .

 

We concluded the report Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Values, “in the age of AI, the ability of the European Union, the United States, and allies to work in common purpose remains central.” We also identified the AI Bill of Rights as possibly the most significant AI policy initiative in the United States. . . .

 

The TTC key’s role, made clear by EU and US leaders, is to in safeguard shared democratic values. Following from this mandate, we urge the TTC to take the following concrete actions:

1) Implement the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights

2) Implement the OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence

3) Suspend the use of facial surveillance technologies

4) Improve public participation in the formation of national AI policy on the U.S. side . . .

 

We urge the leading democratic nations to ensure that the public continues to have a meaningful opportunity to take part in the shaping of national AI policies. The rapid deployment of AI is having a profound impact on our societies, and there is widespread concern about the AI future, particularly in the United States.

 

CAIDP Report, The EU-US Trade and Technology Council

In June 2021, the U.S. and the European Union established the EU- U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to “strengthen global cooperation on technology, digital issues, and supply chains” and “with the aim of promoting a democratic model of digital governance.”[FN1] At the TTC’s inaugural meeting, the U.S. and EU acknowledged that “AI technologies yield powerful advances but can also threaten our shared values and fundamental freedoms” and committed to “develop and implement AI systems that are innovative and trustworthy and that respect universal human rights and shared democratic values.

 

The U.S. and EU also expressed “significant concerns” with the use of “social scoring systems with an aim to implement social control at scale.” Noting that such uses of AI “pose threats to fundamental freedoms and the rule of law,” the TTC stated its opposition to the use of AI for social scoring or other “rights-violating systems.” Finally, the TTC outlined areas of U.S.- EU cooperation, including “responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI” through the OECD AI Recommendations, “measurement and evaluation tools” to assess accuracy and bias, and the development of “AI technologies designed to enhance privacy protections.”

 

The U.S. has made progress in support of the TTC’s goals. In December 2021, the Biden Administration announced an initiative to encourage development of “Democracy-Affirming Technologies,” that support democratic values and governance.[FN2] Relatedly, the U.S. and UK announced plans to promote Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), including low-data AI, the deletion of unnecessary data, and techniques for robust anonymity.[FN3]

 

Also in December 2021, the EU-U.S. Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue was launched by the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, and the European Commission. The Joint Dialogue is intended to align with the E.U.-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC)’s goals through coordination “as much as possible on policy and enforcement,” “especially in technology sectors,” and by promoting “greater alignment” between the U.S. and EU.[FN4]

 

Source: Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Values 471-472 (CAIDP 2022)

References

[FN1] - The White House, U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council Inaugural Joint Statement (Sept. 29, 2021), https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements- releases/2021/06/15/u-s-eu-summit-statement/

 

[FN2] - The White House, Fact Sheet: Announcing the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal (Dec. 9, 2021) https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing- room/statements-releases/2021/12/09/fact-sheet-announcing-the-presidential-initiative- for-democratic-renewal/

 

[FN3] - The White House, US and UK to Partner on Prize Challenges to Advance Privacy- Enhancing Technologies (Dec. 8, 2021) https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news- updates/2021/12/08/us-and-uk-to-partner-on-a-prize-challenges-to-advance-privacy- enhancing-technologies/

 

[FN4] - the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the United States Federal Trade Commission. EU-U.S. Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue Inaugural Joint Statement between the European Commission (Dec. 7, 2021) https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598739/eu- us_joint_dialogue_statement_12721.pdf

 

CAIDP Statement to TTC (Sept. 2022)

We support the goal of the Trade and Technology Council to strengthen the transatlantic alliance on digital policy, and to promote trustworthy AI. Democratic governments should also work together to ensure that democratic values are preserved as technology moves forward. . . .

 

We also call your attention to the recent report of UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet. Commissioner Bachelet urged a moratorium on the sale and use of AI that pose a serious risk to human rights until adequate safeguards are put in place. She also called for a ban on AI applications that do not comply with international human rights law. . . .

 

We fully support the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Commissioner and urge the TTC to issue a similar statement. Now would be the appropriate time for the EU and the US to suspend the use of facial surveillance and to commit to align the development of AI systems with democratic values and international human rights law. . . .

 

CAIDP Commentary

 . . . So it’s time to take stock of progress toward a Transatlantic Accord on AI between the U.S. and EU as they seek to advance their joint commitment to drive digital transformation and cooperate on new technologies based on shared democratic values, including respect for human rights. Despite the earlier statements, it’s not clear that significant progress on an accord will emerge from the upcoming Council meeting, which aims to deal with a raft of tech-related issues. . . .

 

 

Public Voice Opportunities

The Trade and Technology Council was set up at the June 2021 EU-US summit and serves as a forum for the European Union and the United States to coordinate approaches to key global trade, economic, and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on shared democratic values. The EU and US are committed to working with the stakeholder community to carry out this work. To support us in this endeavour, we invite you to engage in this Community and in the subgroups that reflect the different working groups of the TTC. The About section contains instructions on how to join groups and post content.

 

Source: European Commission, Futurism

Statement of TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue (Dec. 6, 2022)

TACD has developed four recommendations to make sure that this new cooperation agenda will deliver to consumers:

 

1. The overall process should be transparent and involve public interest groups in a meaningful way.

2. The cooperation on health should seek to ensure access to safe and affordable medicines for all.

3. The cooperation on sustainability should explore how the green transition will include consumer protections and incentives, notably by cooperating on sustainable finance.

4. The joint technology competition dialogue and various Trade and Technology Council (TTC) working groups should pave the way towards a rights-respecting digital environment and fairer and safer markets for consumers.

 

Most importantly, the cooperation agenda must remain a platform to inform and exchange good practices, not a tool to influence each other’s legislative processes or deter each other from improving protections.

 

Complete statement