Muscat calls for global regulatory framework on artificial intelligence at Shanghai expo

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said during a panel discussion which included Bill Gates and Jack Ma, that arguments against the technology were the same arguments made against free trade and the free movement of people

5 November 2018, 2:35pm

2 min read

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that no country, corporation or continent should have to face the challenges posed by AI alone

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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has called for a global framework for regulating research into, and the development of, artificial intelligence technologies at an international expo in Shanghai China.

Muscat was speaking during a panel discussion that included Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Ali Baba founder Jack Ma at the Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum, where he insisted that the technology would not only revolutionise the way we look at employment, but also the way people go about their daily lives.

Aware of the potential implications of such technologies, Muscat stressed the need for more “discussions on the subject”, including on how education systems need to be altered to meet industry’s future demands.

The Prime Minister illustrated #Malta world first #blockchain legislation, and next steps on #AI during #Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum attended by @BillGates and @AlibabaTalk Jack Ma pic.twitter.com/EqdvsxTN4O
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) November 5, 2018

He said that the most frequently cited arguments against AI are the same arguments made against free trade and the free movement of people.

He said that such reasoning was mainly driven by fear and that this should not be the way technological challenges are met.

This challenge, Muscat said, should be addressed by any one country, corporation or continent alone, arguing there was the need for a global regulatory framework.

Muscat stressed that new and innovative technologies, like AI, had the potential to drive the growth of small economies like Malta’s.

The Prime Minister is currently leading a Maltese delegation to Shanghai, China, during which he has signed an agreement to attract more Chinese investment to Malta.

Muscat stressed that protectionism is “totally opposed” to innovation and technological development, adding that only through innovation could countries access more opportunities. “Technological development is leading to a greater awareness of the need for countries to introduce regulatory frameworks.”

Muscat explained how last week Malta’s new set of blockchain laws came into force. He said that the laws were the first of their kind in Europe, and something that companies working in the space were longing for in order to give them, and their clients, stability and peace of mind.