Pakosta calls for global rules against AI’s most destructive uses

Estonia’s most harmful uses of artificial intelligence should be treated under international law as crimes against humanity, Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta said in an interview with ERR.

Pakosta said international rules were needed to address AI’s potentially catastrophic effects, comparing the challenge to nuclear energy. But, she said, the world must act faster than it did on nuclear regulation, which took decades to produce international rules.

She said Estonia wants the framework for crimes against humanity to cover AI’s most destructive capabilities. She also argued that systems with significant impact should offer open-source options, so Estonia would not depend on providers in other countries that could withdraw access or sharply raise prices.

Pakosta said large AI systems should also be required to include small languages and cultures. Without that, she warned, the Estonian language and culture could disappear from global AI systems.

She also called for safeguards against Russian propaganda online, saying Russia uses and funds bots to promote its interpretation of history in AI systems. Pakosta said international agreements should help ensure those systems protect against such influence and present accurate histories and identities.

Pakosta added that reasonable rules can support innovation, saying clear requirements allow businesses to build new products and services.