EU chiefs push for global digital integration raises concerns about impending digital IDs
Today, at the G20 Summit session titled "One Future," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the establishment of a global regulatory body to oversee Artificial Intelligence and digital ID systems, akin to the regulations for coronavirus vaccine passports.
Von der Leyen declared that our shared future is digital, emphasizing the need for global entities to set limits and implement regulations, Summit News reports.
As the EU Commission President, Von der Leyen discussed AI and the digital realm in her speech. She recognized both the immense risks and vast opportunities associated with emerging AI technologies, underscoring the need to harness and guide this powerful technology responsibly.
"Today I want to focus on AI and digital infrastructure. As it has been described, AI has risks but also offers tremendous opportunities. The crucial question is how to harness a rapidly changing technology,' she said.
"In the EU, in 2020, we presented the first-ever law on artificial intelligence. We want to facilitate innovation while building trust. But we need more. What the world does now will shape our future. I believe that Europe — and its partners — should develop a new global framework for AI risks," von der Leyen added.
The future is digital. I passed two messages to the G20:
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 10, 2023
→ We should establish a framework for safe, responsible AI, with a similar body as the IPCC for climate
→ Digital public infrastructures are an accelerator of growth. They must be trusted, interoperable & open to all
Von der Leyen commended the European Union's initiative in 2020 to launch the first legal framework for AI, aiming to promote innovation while ensuring trust. Yet, she emphasized that this alone was not enough. She advocated for a global approach to address and manage the challenges posed by AI.
Von der Leyen has advocated for a digital public infrastructure akin to the coronavirus passport system, which was formulated by the EU in response to the Covid crisis. The World Health Organization welcomed it as a universal benchmark for tackling health challenges.
“Many of you are familiar with the COVID-19 digital certificate. The EU developed it for itself. The model was so functional and so trusted that 51 countries on 4 continents adopted it for free. Today, the WHO uses it as a global standard to facilitate mobility in times of health threats,” von der Leyen continued.
Von der Leyen notably lauded the EU's progress towards a pan-European digital identity app that can hold a citizen's personal details, encompassing credit card information, driver's license, and passport data.
Such a consolidation of personal data into a single digital platform raises significant concerns. Beyond the immediate vulnerabilities to cyberattacks, the aggregation of sensitive information in one place poses profound ethical questions about surveillance and personal freedoms.
If not rigorously protected and transparently managed, these digital identity apps could become tools for unwarranted monitoring and control, undermining the very principles of privacy and individual rights that underpin democratic societies.
Ian Miles Cheong
Contributor
Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/stillgrayFeatured Stories
