|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Singapore and the United States (US) have taken a historic step towards shaping the global landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) governance. The two nations have successfully made their AI governance frameworks interoperable, marking the first-ever country-to-country mapping of this kind.
This significant achievement was announced during the inaugural United States-Singapore Dialogue on Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET Dialogue) held in Washington, D.C.
The CET Dialogue was co-chaired by high-ranking officials from both countries, including Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
The interoperability of AI governance frameworks was realised through a joint mapping exercise, often referred to as a “crosswalk,” involving Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) AI Verify and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework (RMF).
This achievement was hailed as a crucial step in aligning international frameworks to promote trustworthy and responsible AI innovation, setting the stage for shared principles on a global scale. By providing greater clarity for companies to meet the requirements within both frameworks, it is expected to reduce compliance costs and create an environment conducive to AI deployment and innovation.
The successful crosswalk is just one of the initiatives unveiled at the CET Dialogue. This platform reaffirms the shared vision of Singapore and the US in the field of AI, emphasising information-sharing and consultations on international AI security, safety, trust, and standards development. Both nations are at the forefront of responsible innovation, ensuring the responsible development and deployment of AI by fostering public-private partnerships.
In addition to the milestone of interoperable AI governance frameworks, the Singapore-US partnership also announced the establishment of a bilateral AI Governance Group. This group will serve as a collaborative entity to advance shared principles and facilitate information exchanges, emphasising the safe, trustworthy, and responsible innovation of AI.
The second initiative revolves around deepening research and technical collaborations in AI. Singapore and the US are committed to increasing exchanges and programs designed to enhance research and technical cooperation in the field of AI safety and security. This extends to testing, validation, certification, and workforce development, all of which are pivotal in advancing AI technologies.
The Singapore-US Business Roundtable on AI Safety and Innovation, held in conjunction with the CET Dialogue, underscores the crucial role of the private sector in shaping the trusted and responsible use of AI. The roundtable, co-chaired by Minister Josephine Teo and US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, featured discussions by 13 leading Singapore and US AI developers and deployers.
These discussions addressed real-world opportunities and challenges of AI application, with participants representing a diverse array of sectors, including technology, engineering, finance, and transport. As they shared their experiences in AI innovation and deployment, they highlighted Singapore’s approach to public-private partnerships in the realm of AI governance.
The roundtable participants unanimously recognised the importance of international cooperation to reduce fragmentation in AI governance frameworks and standards while enhancing interoperability among nations and companies.
They emphasised inclusivity and representation, calling for joint initiatives to support the development and deployment of new AI technologies, such as regulatory sandboxes, international standards, and measures to ensure secure and trusted data flows. Likewise, the participants emphasised the critical role of AI Trust and Safety in enabling businesses and citizens to confidently use AI technologies.
They underscored the significance of public-private partnerships in developing frameworks and tools for the trusted deployment of AI and fortifying systems and infrastructure against malicious attacks. Both Singapore and the US expressed their intentions to collaborate more closely in these areas.
