G-7 agrees to launch action plan over AI impact on labour

The heads of the Group of Seven major powers said in a joint statement on Friday that they will launch an action plan to deal with artificial intelligence's positive and negative impacts on employment.

In the statement, adopted at their meeting in Puglia, southern Italy, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, welcomed the support from countries outside the G-7 forum for the Hiroshima AI Process, an international rulemaking framework for generative AI led by Tokyo.

They said that they recognise the importance of advancing the framework's outcomes. The Hiroshima AI Process was established at last year's G-7 summit, which was chaired by Japan.

Over 50 countries and regions have signed onto the framework. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in the G-7 leaders' discussions Friday that he hopes to continue cooperation on the subject.

Under this year's G-7 chair, Italy, discussions have centered on the potential benefits of AI to labor and the risk of the technology depriving people of work.

The G-7 leaders said in the statement that they would "work to ensure that AI enables increased productivity, quality jobs and decent work" and that they will strengthen labour market policies in light of tackling AI's negative effects.