Pichai was speaking at a Brussel-based think tank on Monday.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai called for sensible regulation of artificial intelligence that also took a proportionate approach and balanced potential harms with social opportunities.

Pichai suggested that as various governments considered AI regulations, an “international alignment” of rules would be critical, AP reported.

White House and AI

Earlier this month, the White House enunciated principles to guide federal agencies in the development of laws and regulations addressing artificial intelligence. The regulations were a step forward in the drive to ensure America remains a global leader in AI.

“Europe and our other international partners should adopt similar regulatory principles that embrace and shape innovation, and do so in a manner consistent with the principles we all hold dear,” wrote Michael Kratsios, U.S. CTO in an op-ed.

Meanwhile, the EU’s powerful competition regulator, Margrethe Vestager, is said to be looking into regulating AI for its ethical use. In a hard-line approach, she has imposed billions of dollars of fines on tech giants.

Pichai was to meet Vestager on the day of his speech.

AI a double-edged sword

In his speech, Pichai drew attention to the big benefits possible from AI. However, he qualified those remarks with the potential downsides and risks (“nefarious reasons” and “negative consequences”) from the technology. He cited facial recognition in this context.

Meanwhile, leaked proposals seen by Reuters show that the EU is considering a ban on facial recognition technology in public areas for up to five years. The document is said to be an 18-page white paper by the EU’s executive.

It also proposes to regulate AI from the point of view of both developers and users of AI. It suggests that EU countries should constitute monitoring bodies for the new rules.

White House warned Europe on over-regulation

Earlier this month, in a statement released by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the White House wrote: “Europe and our allies should avoid heavy-handed innovation-killing models, and instead consider a similar regulatory approach. The best way to counter authoritarian uses of AI is to make sure America and our international partners remain the global hubs of innovation, shaping the evolution of technology in a manner consistent with our common values.”

Divergent views indeed, giving meaning to Pichai’s call for an international alignment on AI.

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