Is Global AI Governance Possible?

It’s widely recognized by intelligent, responsible business and government leaders that there’s an urgent need to address the issues of AI governance, alignment, policy and safety.

Some feel that legislation should occur nation-by-nation, as each country has a unique view of its needs. Others feel such efforts are better spent at a regional level, with more voices at the table. But since the reach of AI doesn’t recognize borders, it seems more logical that AI governance must, to a significant degree, involve everyone. But is that possible?

Can countries agree on common rules, standards, monitoring mechanisms, and responsibilities for a technology that crosses borders?

Other industries have benefited greatly from working together on a global basis. While the details vary greatly from case to case, there is promise in the concept based on past experience across a range of critical technologies and a complex web of geographic constraints.

Key Global Industry Organizations

While there isn’t space here to delve into the nuances of how each organization operates, identifying key functions and objectives may help guide the discussion.

• IAEA: rules + safeguards + verification
• ITU: technical standards + coordination
• ICAO: standards + national implementation + safety oversight
• IMO: international conventions + national enforcement
• OPCW: prohibition + declarations + inspections + verification

The world has developed many methods of governing technologies and activities that cross national borders. The question is, which of those mechanisms are appropriate for governing AI.

Based on recent events involving AI agents pursuing goals they were not ask to achieve, and using methods they were not instructed to use, there is a strong case that the following list of objectives are worthy of inclusion:

rules + standards + safeguards + enforcement + verification + notification

By examining some of the functions that each organization is responsible for, it should be possible to craft a set of goals, objectives, and responsibilities that are specific to the task of AI governance at a global scale. Which of these functions do you feel are relevant to AI?

IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency

• Safeguards and verification — verifies that declared nuclear material and activities are being used for peaceful purposes.
• Nuclear safety standards — develops internationally agreed safety principles and requirements.
• Radiation protection — establishes standards for protecting people and the environment from ionizing radiation.
• Nuclear security — supports states in preventing theft, sabotage and other malicious uses of nuclear material. Peaceful nuclear applications — supports nuclear science and technology in areas such as medicine, agriculture, energy and environmental applications.

Why it matters for AI: It demonstrates that countries can create international verification mechanisms around technologies that are enormously beneficial, and at the same time, potentially dangerous.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

ITU: International Telecommunication Union

• Radio-frequency spectrum allocation — establishes international rules for use of spectrum.
• Satellite-orbit coordination — coordinates use of orbital resources.
• Interference management — seeks to prevent harmful interference between radio systems.
• International telecommunications rules — establishes treaty-level principles for international telecommunications.
• Technical standards and interoperability — develops standards that allow communications systems developed by different countries and companies to work together.

Why it matters for AI: It demonstrates the value of globally agreed technical standards when technologies operate across borders.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization

• Aircraft safety and airworthiness — establishes international safety standards.
• Rules of the air and air traffic management — creates common operating procedures.
• Pilot and personnel licensing — establishes internationally recognized requirements.
• Aircraft registration and identification — establishes common international practices.
• Accident investigation and safety management — establishes standards for investigating incidents and managing systemic safety risks.

Why it matters for AI: Aviation one of the best examples of overseeing a technology where common international standards + national enforcement enable a globally interconnected system.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

IMO: International Maritime Organization

• SOLAS — international standards for safety of life at sea.
• MARPOL — controls pollution from ships.
• STCW — establishes international standards for seafarer training, certification and watch-keeping.
• Ballast Water Management — addresses transfer of invasive aquatic species.
• Ship safety, security and liability — establishes numerous conventions covering vessel safety, maritime security and compensation for damage.

Why it matters for AI: Shipping involves private companies operating across jurisdictions. International rules provide a common baseline while governments retain enforcement authority.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

OPCW: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

• Prohibition of chemical weapons — prohibits development, production, acquisition, stockpiling and use.
• Declarations — states must declare relevant chemical weapons and facilities.
• On-site inspections — inspectors verify declarations and compliance.
• Destruction verification — verifies that declared chemical weapons and production facilities are destroyed.
• Chemical-industry monitoring — monitors relevant industrial facilities to prevent prohibited activities and proliferation.

Why it matters for AI: This is a classic example of embracing international rules backed by verification mechanisms, rather than relying solely on voluntary cooperation.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Yes, the task at hand is incredibly difficult, as the United States and China continue their push for ever-more capable frontier AI models, but if the world fails to find a cooperative path towards global governance, the risk of a catastrophic occurring increase dramatically.

Global governance works when countries agree to common rules, establish mechanisms for implementation and oversight, and have enough shared interest in compliance to make those rules meaningful.