International coordination on AI governance is essential because AI development is global, AI systems cross borders easily, and AI risksâfrom misalignment to misuseâaffect all of humanity. Yet international coordination remains weak. No binding international treaties govern AI development. The major AI powersâthe United States and Chinaâare in strategic competition that makes cooperation difficult. And the pace of AI development far exceeds the pace of international diplomacy.
Recent efforts have made progress. The November 2023 Bletchley Declaration brought 28 countries together on AI safety principles. The May 2024 Seoul Summit expanded this with safety commitments from frontier AI labs. AI Safety Institutes are being established in multiple countries, creating potential for technical coordination. The G7 and G20 have addressed AI. But these remain voluntary frameworks without enforcement mechanisms.
The fundamental challenge is that international AI coordination requires cooperation between competitors. The US and China see AI leadership as essential to national security and economic competitiveness. Neither wants to constrain their own development or give the other an advantage. This creates a coordination problem where both might prefer mutual restraint but neither will move first.