Side Event on Generative AI at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (Summary)

On May 2, from 10:55 local time (17:55 JST), for about 20 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, attended a side event “Towards Safe, Secure and Trustworthy AI: Promoting Inclusive AI Governance” at the sidelines of the Meeting of the Council at Ministerial Level (MCM) of the OECD.

1. At the beginning of the side event, following a video on the Hiroshima AI Process, which Japan led last year as the G7 Presidency, Prime Minister Kishida made opening remarks. The outline of the remarks is as follows: 
(1) There is an urgent need to establish international governance to achieve safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. For this purpose, Prime Minister Kishida launched the Hiroshima AI Process, which led to the development of the International Guiding Principles as well as the Code of Conduct and contributed to reducing specific risks related to generative AI. Prime Minister Kishida welcomes the updates of the OECD Principles on AI as a concrete outcome of the OECD.
(2) The Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group kicks off, with the participation of 49 countries and regions, as a voluntary framework of countries supporting the spirit of the Hiroshima AI Process. Together with the members of the Friends Group, we will work to implement the International Guiding Principles and the Code of Conduct and promote cooperation to ensure that people all over the world can benefit from the use of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.
(3) Technical solutions are also important for reducing risks. For this purpose, Japan will establish the GPAI Tokyo Center and provide robust support to projects such as technology demonstrations by experts. Japan will also support efforts toward the implementation of technology in real-life situations to verify originators of contents in order to address risks such as disinformation produced with generative AI.
 
2. Mr. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD, appreciated Japan's efforts to date on international AI governance, stated the importance of implementing the Hiroshima AI Process and the revised OECD AI Principles to achieve safe, secure and trustworthy AI, and promised the OECD’s continued contribution to these efforts. From the participating countries to the Friends Group, Dr. Alejandro Encinas Nájera, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade of Mexico, and Ms. Grace Fu Hai Yien, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations of Singapore, appreciated the initiative of the Hiroshima AI Process, and stated their willingness to actively participate in the efforts of the Friends Group. 
 
3. Mr. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, attended the event online and emphasized the important role played by the outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process, the International Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct, among the various initiatives on global AI governance. He also expressed his gratitude for the leadership of Prime Minister Kishida in leading the Hiroshima AI Process, and expressed his expectation of further advancing the efforts of the Friends Group with the participation from the Global South.