Fragmentation of Artificial intelligence international regulation: challenges

Abstract

The issue of AI development and application is high on the international agenda now. One of the reasons is its excessive popularity among the public. Numerous international actors are now developing AI regulations. It is both universal and specialized international organisations with global and regional reach. Informal international fora are also active in this area. This process is a complex one and incorporate different factors which are both of objective and subjective character. In effect, AI regulation all the more often becomes a political tool for promoting economic interests of national IT companies or an instrument for secretariats of international organisations to keep a high profile. National AI regulation is often considered as a shield against malign use of AI by Western governments to manipulate domestic processes in other countries and to interfere into internal affairs. There are also different approaches which are practiced by intergovernmental organisations depending on their specialization. While specialized fora strive to build common grounds for the development and use of AI, regional organisations attach broader perspective to AI regulation and tend to politicize it. These various factors are likely to result in a fragmented regulatory field in this area according to national borders or borders of military and political alliances.