Twenty world leaders have agreed to collaborate in combating disinformation and establishing guidelines for artificial intelligence. The G20 ministers, meeting in Maceio, Brazil, emphasized transparency and accountability from digital platforms. This marks the first recognition of the disinformation issue by the G20, Brazilian digital policy secretary João Brant stated. The agreement also calls for ethical, transparent, and accountable AI usage, ensuring compliance with privacy and human rights laws, with human oversight.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for November, will further these discussions. Renata Mielli, Brazil’s AI working group negotiator, noted disagreements from countries like China and the US but emphasized the consensus on reducing global AI development asymmetry. The backdrop to these discussions includes Brazil’s recent ban of social media platform X, followed by tensions between Elon Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. De Moraes had ordered X’s block on certain far-right activists, leading Musk to criticize the judge.
Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s G20 presidency has prioritized issues concerning developing nations, such as reducing inequalities and reforming multilateral institutions. Meanwhile, various other global concerns were highlighted, including an earthquake shaking the Los Angeles area and California’s wildfire updates.
In political news, former President Donald Trump announced he would not participate in a third debate for the 2024 election, while Democrats saw potential in debate performances for advertising benefits. A recent school shooting in Georgia also claimed four lives, adding to the nation’s ongoing crisis of gun violence. These events reflect a world grappling with rapid technological advances, political upheavals, and natural disasters, underscoring the importance of global cooperation and resilience.