Navigating the Fog of AI: DFA Hosts Roundtable on AI Governance

A roundtable discussion on AI governance was hosted by the DFA at the Carlos P. Romulo Library on 19 February 2024 and was attended by representatives from the DND, DTI, DOST, DICT, AFP, and NDCP.

PASAY 26 February 2024 – The Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO) in partnership with the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), hosted a roundtable discussion on international governance of artificial intelligence (AI) at the DFA’s Carlos P. Romulo Library on 19 February 2024.

The Roundtable’s featured expert was Mr. Maxime Stauffer, Co-CEO and Founder Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) who delivered a talk on AI governance at the multilateral level, describing international governance as a way of “navigating the fog” of AI.  Mr. Stauffer emphasized the importance of transcending the dichotomy between AI safety and AI progress.

The talk elicited a spirited discussion among national government agencies on maximizing Philippine participation in International AI governance negotiations at the United Nations.  In September 2022, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on the international community to develop governance structures to keep up with this emerging technology.

In attendance were representatives from the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), and the University of the Philippines (UP).

These officials and technical personnel in attendance shared their thoughts on the various facets of AI, from technical to policy and ethical considerations such as accountability and transparency.  Participants also discussed current efforts on AI governance at the multilateral arena.

It may be recalled that the Philippines hosted the Manila Meeting on Indo-Pacific Perspectives on Autonomous Weapons Systems last 13-14 December 2023 to drive the discussion on the use of AI in warfare, particularly on weapons systems.  END