International Governance of Civilian AI: A Jurisdictional Certification Approach

TL;DR

This paper proposes an international governance framework for civilian AI, involving a global certification organization for jurisdictions, to enhance oversight, safety, and regulation of AI supply chains across borders.

Contribution

It introduces a novel jurisdictional certification approach for international AI governance, extending standards and licensing regimes to the global level with enforceable regulations.

Findings

Proposes establishing an International AI Organization (IAIO) for jurisdictional certification.

Suggests import/export controls based on certification to enforce standards.

Aims to mitigate AI-related risks and enhance global safety.

Abstract

This report describes trade-offs in the design of international governance arrangements for civilian artificial intelligence (AI) and presents one approach in detail. This approach represents the extension of a standards, licensing, and liability regime to the global level. We propose that states establish an International AI Organization (IAIO) to certify state jurisdictions (not firms or AI projects) for compliance with international oversight standards. States can give force to these international standards by adopting regulations prohibiting the import of goods whose supply chains embody AI from non-IAIO-certified jurisdictions. This borrows attributes from models of existing international organizations, such as the International Civilian Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). States can also adopt multilateral controls on the export of AI product inputs, such as specialized hardware, to non-certified jurisdictions. Indeed, both the import and export standards could be required for certification. As international actors reach consensus on risks of and minimum standards for advanced AI, a jurisdictional certification regime could mitigate a broad range of potential harms, including threats to public safety.