US, EU Strike Landmark Agreement to Cooperate on AI

The U.S. and EU have struck a landmark agreement that would bring together their considerable resources to further research and development on AI across a host of applications.

In their first broad agreement on AI, the two superpowers said they will collaborate to bring together U.S. and EU AI experts to solve major global challenges in five areas: forecasting climate and extreme weather conditions, emergency response management, applying AI to agriculture, improving health care and medicines, and electric grid optimization.

Data generated from the projects would be collated into common AI models. However, the data used to build the joint models will stay in their respective silos to avoid falling afoul of cross-border data rules, including the EU's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

“Together, we are confident the results of our research will extend beyond our partnership to benefit additional international partners and the global science community,” a statement by national security advisor Jake Sullivan reads.

The agreement builds on the Declaration for the Future of the Internet (DFI), a multi-state vision for using the internet and digital technologies responsibly. Both parties were lead signatories on the DFI. The DFI covers principles for signatories including providing fundamental freedoms and human rights and promoting the free flow of information.

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Both the U.S. and EU have made some strides to achieve this goal: The U.S. with its AI Bill of Rights and the EU’s rules on AI. However, the former is only a white paper outlining a set of principles and the latter is awaiting a vote before coming into law.