Transatlantic Approaches on Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Final Report

Virtual Policy Lab, 16-18 September, 2020

The World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid (WLA-CdM) in partnership with the Boston Global Forum (BGF) organized an in-depth transatlantic, multi-stakeholder virtual dialogue. Framed as a Virtual Policy Lab, the dialogue focused on global challenges, with special emphasis on the need to create a new social contract on digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and possible policy solutions toward that end.

The Final Report highlights the key features of each session and the nature of the deliberations. The concluding session called for members of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid and world leaders to support, endorse and work for the implementation of the Social Contract for the AI Age. Among the central features of the Social Contract for the AI Age are the following:

First, it defines an international TCP/IP (the platform for communication among internet users), that is, a set of norms, values and standards specifically designed as connections among governments for enabling and supporting international relations – including between governments, between companies, between companies and governments.

Second, it is anchored principles of justice and equity, recognizing that communities must have control over their data, given that data literacy at all levels of society is the basis for an intelligent, thoughtful society.

Third, its goals and global reach call for all governments to promote the Democratic Alliance for Digital Governance.
In terms of implementation, the Social Contract for the AI Age involves:

• The promulgation of a Code of Ethics for AI Developers and AI Users.
• The creation of a system to monitor and evaluate governments, companies, and individuals
• The recognition of the Social Contract for the AI Age by the United Nations, OECD, and other international organizations, governments, companies, civil society and the global AI community.
• The creation of the “AIWS City”, a virtual digital city dedicated to the principle of the Social Contract for the AI Age.

Other key measures are noted in the concluding remarks.

Download and read the full Report here