AWS Public Sector Blog
U.S. Government officials, allies, and private sector leaders discuss responsible AI innovation
Attendees watch and listen as Dave Levy, right, speaks during his fireside chat at the event, “An Allied Approach in the Age of AI.”
On June 27, 2024, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Atlantic Council Geotech Center co-hosted an event, “An Allied Approach in the Age of AI,” during the annual AWS Summit Washington, DC. The event convened senior U.S. Government (USG) officials, allied nations’ diplomats, and private sector leaders to discuss approaches to shape the global future of responsible artificial intelligence (AI).
The event covered a range of topics including forging effective public-private partnerships, aligning AI governance strategies with allies, debating opportunities and challenges in the age of AI innovation, and building responsible, resilient AI systems.
Atlantic Council president and CEO Frederick Kempe underscored the importance of AI in navigating complex geopolitical and technological challenges. He emphasized the need for the USG to cooperate with partners and allies in creating guardrails for responsible AI governance.
On the first panel, moderated by Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, G7 partners discussed ways to align AI governance strategies. Attendees heard from the Embassy of Japan’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Koichi Ai; the U.S. State Department’s Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, Ambassador Stephen Lang; the British Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, James Roscoe, MVO; and the Italian Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Alessandro Gonzalez. The conversation explored how allies can promote international cooperation and knowledge sharing to harness the benefits of AI, while mitigating risks and potential misuse. The group emphasized the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to developing and implementing governance strategies to achieve shared objectives.
Another panel discussion focused on the power of AI to enhance national security. Avery Alpha, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), explained how her agency is implementing AI for specific use-cases, such as improving intelligence analysis processes. The Embassy of Canada’s Foreign and Defence Counsellor, David Nelson, and the Embassy of Australia’s Deputy Head of Mission, Paul Myler, provided insight into how AI tools can help improve situational awareness among Five Eyes allies and other partners to better understand and address adversarial threats. “At its core, alliances are about data sharing,” said Myler.
Attendees also considered ways to encourage responsible AI adoption. During a panel on responsible AI applications for governments, Federal Reserve System Chief Innovation Officer, Sunayna Tuteja, shared insights into how government agencies are working to educate, train, and empower the workforce to drive AI tools effectively. Matthew Graviss, Chief Innovation and AI Officer at the Department of State, discussed how the Department is implementing AI into “every aspect of diplomacy.”
The final panel dove into mechanisms to build AI resilience. Todd Johnston, government and public services managing director at Deloitte, discussed how government agencies and private organizations can work together more effectively to build resilience against AI-related risks. Anthropic’s head of global affairs, Michael Sellitto, then explored how the private sector approaches challenging ethical considerations and organizes to ensure they use their AI systems for good while mitigating potential harms.
From this event, it was clear that the rapid growth of generative AI brings promising new innovation, and simultaneously, raises new challenges around the world. AWS is committed to engaging diverse perspectives from industry, civil society, and governments to promote responsible AI development and collaboration. These insights can advance understanding and adoption of transformative emerging technologies throughout the worldwide public sector.