G7 and Artificial Intelligence at the Italian Embassy in Washington, with Father Benanti, the White House, OpenAI, and other industry leaders

Washington, DC (March 13, 2024) - Artificial intelligence at the service of humanity and controlled by humanity. This is the guiding thread of the Italian presidency at the G7 on the topic of AI, which the Italian Ambassador to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, highlighted yesterday evening when opening the proceedings of the symposium "AI and the Human Capital" focused on the challenges and opportunities of AI in the labor market at the Italian Embassy in Washington, on the eve of the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Industry, Technology, and Digital in Verona and Trento.

"The Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni placed the theme of AI at the center of the G7, also including it in the agenda of the June Summit in Puglia," emphasized Ambassador Zappia, recalling how artificial intelligence, and particularly its impact on the labor market, was also central to the meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on March 1st. Referring to the Prime Minister's intervention at the event "Artificial Intelligence for Italy", held a few hours earlier in Rome, the Ambassador highlighted: "AI is the greatest revolution of our time and it is also the main challenge we face," adding later "it is a technology that can unleash its full positive potential only if its development moves within a perimeter of ethical rules that focus on the individual, their rights, and their needs."

The guest of honor at the event was Father Paolo Benanti, appointed by Prime Minister Meloni as President of the AI Commission for Information and a member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence.

Father Benanti, connected via live video from Geneva, briefly reviewed the main technological developments since the post-war period and their impact on our societies, focusing on the ethics of technology and algorithmics. He explained that, "once available to the public and integrated into social reality, technology becomes a simple form of power that can impact the social order." He then clarified: "It's not just about looking at regulatory approaches, but also questioning the technology itself."

In the subsequent discussion, moderated by Washington Post journalist Cat Zakrzewski, participants included: Seeyew Mo, Assistant National Cyber Director for Cyber Workforce, Training, and Education at the White House; Chan Park, Head of U.S. Policy and Partnerships at OpenAI; Olivia Igbokwe-Curry, Head of US Congressional and Political Affairs at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Among the speakers were also Amanda Ballantyne, Director of the Technology Institute at AFL-CIO, the federation of US labor unions that recently signed an AI agreement with Microsoft, and Italian Giovanni Melina, Deputy Division Chief at the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund, and one of the authors of the recent IMF report titled "Gen-AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work."

The discussion began with discussing the timing for American AI legislation, in light of the recent EU Regulation on the matter - OpenAI, also denied rumors of disengagement in Europe. The White House reiterated its commitment to excellence in the sector, despite the greater attractiveness of the private sector. The debate on the impact of AI on the labor market started from the IMF study, which shows a great heterogeneity of access and preparation for AI among advanced economies and developing countries, and among the most routine jobs, at greater risk of replacement, and those with the most added value, which would benefit from AI in terms of increased productivity. Growing inequality emerged as the main threat of AI. The union representative highlighted the need for a people-centered approach, with investments in training and, in a context of deindustrialization, strategies aimed at facilitating worker mobility between sectors and towards new professions. OpenAI emphasized the risks of a lack of access to AI technologies, and AWS focused on technical training and the need for international standards. Among the topics discussed were also the impact of AI on upcoming elections worldwide - OpenAI focused in particular on the safeguards put in place for those in the USA.

The event was broadcast live on the Italian Embassy's YouTube channel. The full recording is available here: Link to the recording