New research alliance cements split on AI ethics

Germany, France and Japan have joined forces to fund research into "human-centered" artificial intelligence that aims to respect privacy and transparency, in the latest sign of a global split with the U.S. and China over the ethics of AI. The three countries' funding agencies have put out a joint call for research proposals, backed by an initial 7.4 million euros ($8.2 million). They stressed that they "share the same values" and warned that the technology has the potential to "violate individual privacy and right to informational self-determination." Observers see the move as part of a wider divergence in AI research priorities, with Europe, plus Japan and potentially Canada, taking the lead on its ethical development. "We share the same beliefs and the same standards," said Susanne Sangenstedt, a program officer at the German Research Foundation who is helping to oversee the collaboration.