The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is profoundly transforming human society and concurrently presenting a series of ethical, legal, and social issues. The effective governance of AI has become a crucial global concern. Since 2022, the extensive deployment of generative AI, particularly large language models, marked a new phase in AI governance. Continuous efforts are being made by the international community in actively addressing the novel challenges posed by these AI developments. As consensus on international governance continues to be established and put into action, the practical importance of conducting a global assessment of the state of AI governance is progressively coming to light. In this context, we initiated the development of the AI Governance InternationaL Evaluation Index (AGILE Index). Adhering to the design principle, "the level of governance should match the level of development," the inaugural evaluation of the AGILE Index commences with an exploration of four foundational pillars: the development level of AI, the AI governance environment, the AI governance instruments, and the AI governance effectiveness. It covers 39 indicators across 18 dimensions to comprehensively assess the AI governance level of 14 representative countries globally. The index is utilized to delve into the status of AI governance to date in 14 countries for the first batch of evaluation. The aim is to depict the current state of AI governance in these countries through data scoring, assist them in identifying their governance stage and uncovering governance issues, and ultimately offer insights for the enhancement of their AI governance systems.

Trailing the US and second-placed China, it holds a slight lead over Canada and South Korea, according to the Global AI Index published in December 2020 by Tortoise Media. Philp continues: "For businesses, we want to ensure that there are clear rules, applied ethical principles and a pro-innovation regulatory environment that can create tech powerhouses across the country." A survey published by Experian in September indicates that more than two-thirds (68%) of UK students wrongly believe that they would need to earn a STEM qualification to stand a chance of landing a data-related job. Dr Mahlet Zimeta, head of public policy at the Open Data Institute, thinks that the widely held view that "the UK needs to produce more people who can code" is unhelpful at best. For employers, this will include ensuring that their staff "have access to suitable training and development opportunities", he adds, pointing out that the government's online list of so-called skills bootcamps is an excellent place to start.Tortoise Media's Global AI Index ranks the UK fourth in the world on its supply of talent and third for the quality of its research.

In the global AI investment, innovation and implementation stakes, the UK lies in a creditable third place. Trailing the US and second-placed China, it holds a slight lead over Canada and South Korea, according to the Global AI Index published in December 2020 by Tortoise Media. The moral of Aesop's most famous fable involving a tortoise may be'more haste, less speed', but Westminster is seeking to hare ahead in this race over the coming decade. Its national AI strategy, published in September 2021, is a 10-year plan to make the country an "AI superpower". But what does that mean exactly?