G20 nations agree to join efforts to fight disinformation and set AI guidelines

Group of 20 leaders agreed Friday to join efforts to fight disinformation and set up an agenda on artificial intelligence as their governments struggle against the speed, scale and reach of misinformation and hate speech.

The ministers, who gathered this week in Maceio, the capital of the northeastern state of Alagoas, emphasized in a statement the need for digital platforms to be transparent and “in line with relevant policies and applicable legal frameworks.”

It is the first time in the G20’s history that the group recognizes the problem of disinformation and calls for transparency and accountability from digital platforms, João Brant, secretary for digital policy at the Brazilian presidency, told The Associated Press by phone.

G20 representatives also agreed to establish guidelines for developing artificial intelligence, calling for “ethical, transparent, and accountable use of AI,” with human oversight and compliance with privacy and human rights laws.

“We hope this will be referenced in the leaders’ declaration and that South Africa will continue the work,” Renata Mielli, adviser to Brazil’s ministry of science, technology and innovation, said. The G20 Leaders’ Summit is scheduled for November, in Rio de Janeiro.

Mielli, Brazil’s negotiator in the AI working group, said there were disagreements from countries including China and the United States, but declined to provide details. In the end, she said, a consensus prevailed that the world’s richest countries should collaborate to reduce global asymmetry in AI development.

This week’s meeting took place in the aftermath of X’s ban in Brazil, ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes after a monthslong feud with its owner, tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Since last year, X has clashed with de Moraes over its reluctance to block some users, mostly far-right activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy. Musk has called the Brazilian justice a dictator and an autocrat due to his rulings affecting his companies in Brazil.

Brazil currently has the presidency of the 20 leading rich and developing nations and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has put issues that concern the developing world — such as the reduction of inequalities and the reform of multilateral institutions — at the heart of its agenda.