Digital Trade and Data Governance News
- EU's First Digital Trade Agreement – The European Commission has presented the EU’s first-ever digital trade agreement, aiming to establish global standards for digital transactions and data flows.
Artificial Intelligence News
- Élysée Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI – The closing statement calls for the need for AI development that is inclusive, sustainable, and aligned with human and environmental well-being, calling for global cooperation on ethical AI governance.
- OECD Global Framework to Monitor G7 Hiroshima AI Code of Conduct – The press release announces that the OECD has launched a global framework to monitor the application of the G7 Hiroshima AI Code of Conduct, aiming to ensure responsible, ethical, and transparent AI practices worldwide.
- White House Rescinds "Harmful Executive Orders" – The Trump administration has rescinded several executive orders related to AI and digital policy, aiming to align regulations with ethical and security priorities.
- UK AI Opportunities and Action Plan – The UK government outlines its AI strategy, focusing on regulatory approaches, research funding, and global leadership in AI development.
- USPTO AI Strategy – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) releases a strategy for handling AI-related patents and intellectual property rights.
- Kenya's Draft National AI Strategy – Kenya has released a draft AI strategy for public validation, outlining its vision for AI-driven economic growth, governance frameworks, and capacity-building initiatives.
- Generative AI and Open Data Guidelines – The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report outlining best practices for leveraging open data in generative AI while addressing transparency and security concerns.
- Japan May Lower Privacy Standards to Encourage AI – Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission is considering removing the requirement for prior consent when obtaining sensitive personal information for AI development purposes.
What We're Reading
- The Case for Consent in the AI Data Gold Rush – This Brookings article argues for stronger consent mechanisms in AI data collection, highlighting the ethical and regulatory challenges of using personal data for AI training.
- Information Democracy Observatory Report – A global analysis of information governance challenges, misinformation, and the role of digital platforms in shaping public discourse.
- Social Media as It Should Be – A perspective on how social media could be reimagined to better serve democratic values and societal well-being.
- Open Source AI and Data Governance – An exploration of the intersection between open-source AI and data governance, emphasizing transparency and community-driven development.
- Carnegie Report on Generative AI – This report examines the geopolitical and regulatory challenges of generative AI, emphasizing governance frameworks, risks, and strategic implications for global AI development.
- OECD Report on Data Access and Sharing in the Age of AI – This OECD report explores policies and frameworks for improving data access and sharing to support AI innovation while balancing privacy, security, and economic considerations.
- The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking – "The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers" by Hank Lee, Advait Sarkar, Lev Tankelevitch, Ian Drosos, Sean Rintel, Richard Banks, and Nicholas Wilson is a must-read for everyone in AI. After surveying 319 workers, the report suggested “that GenAI tools need to be designed to support knowledge workers’ critical thinking by addressing their awareness, motivation, and ability barriers.”
- Dismantling U.S. Science and Technology Foundations – A MIT Technology Review article examines recent actions by the Trump administration through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, which involve cutting personnel, programs, and agencies, potentially impacting the nation's scientific and technological leadership.
- Microsoft CEO Questions AI's Economic Impact – In a recent podcast, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed skepticism about the current economic value generated by AI technologies, emphasizing the need for measurable real-world benefits over speculative milestones like artificial general intelligence.
Opportunities to Comment
- The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Democratic Staff, is surveying the impact of the Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal employees from science agencies. If you were terminated from your position since January 20, 2025, please fill out this brief survey. While anonymous submissions will be helpful to the Committee’s efforts, we encourage you to leave your contact information if you are open to having a confidential conversation with Committee staff. Please find our confidentiality policies at the following link – any information you share will be treated with these protections, regardless of your current employment status: https://lnkd.in/eQE6jEZd. If you would prefer to share via email, you can reach us at sciencefirings@mail.house.gov. If you were terminated from a non-science-related office, we can provide the information you share with the appropriate Committee of jurisdiction.
- Request for Information on the Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan
