Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of our lives. It influences how we work and play. It promises to help solve global challenges like climate change and access to quality medical care. Yet AI also brings real challenges for governments and citizens alike.

As it permeates economies and societies, what sort of policy and institutional frameworks should guide AI design and use, and how can we ensure that it benefits society as a whole?

The OECD supports governments by measuring and analysing the economic and social impacts of AI technologies and applications, and engaging with all stakeholders to identify good practices for public policy.

The OECD.AI Policy Observatory is a unique source of real-time information, analysis and dialogue designed to shape and share AI policies across the globe.

Its country dashboards allow you to browse and compare hundreds of AI policy initiatives in over 60 countries and territories.

An AI-powered tool also allows you to follow COVID-19 developments around the world.

The OECD.AI Policy Observatory also hosts the AI Wonk blog, a space where the OECD Network of Experts on AI and guest contributors share their experiences and research.

In May 2019 the OECD adopted its Principles on Artificial Intelligence, the first international standards agreed by governments for the responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI. 

The OECD Principles on AI include concrete recommendations for public policy and strategy. The general scope of the Principles ensures they can be applied to AI developments around the world.

In our recent report Artificial Intelligence and Society, a chapter on public policy considerations reviews salient policy issues that accompany the diffusion of AI. It supports the value-based OECD Principles on AI and outlines national policies to promote trustworthy AI systems.

The OECD.AI Policy Observatory, launched in February 2020, aims to help policymakers implement the AI Principles.

• Identifying and measuring developments in artificial intelligence. Working paper (May 2020)
• Using artificial intelligence to help combat COVID-19. This brief looks at the use of AI in detecting, responding to, and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. (April 2020)
• Trustworthy AI in health. Background paper for the G20 AI Dialogue, Digital Economy Task Force (April 2020)
• Trustworthy AI in education: Promises and challenges. Background paper for the G20 AI Dialogue, Digital Economy Task Force (February 2020)
• "Preparing for economic transformation through human-centred AI" is an OECD contribution (Chapter 3) to INSEAD’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2020: Global Talent in the Age of AI (January 2020)
• Hello, world: Artificial intelligence and its use in the public sector. This working paper is intended to help public officials take their first steps in exploring AI (November 2019)
• State of the art in the use of emerging technologies in the public sector. This working paper takes a look at major trends in AI and blockchain technology adoption in the public sector (September 2019)
• Artificial intelligence in society. A review of the technical and economic AI landscapes as well as major applications and uses of AI and their impacts. It explores salient public policy considerations and provides supporting information for the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence (June 2019)
• Private equity investment in artificial intelligence. This policy note describes important increases in investments in AI start-ups (December 2018)
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning in science and Artificial intelligence and the technologies of the next production revolution, chapters from the OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook (November 2018) 
• AI: Intelligent machines, smart policies. Discussions at the OECD conference on AI are summarized in this digital economy paper (August 2018)
    

• More OECD publications on science and technology
• AI initiatives around the world

• Watch the launch of the OECD.AI Policy Observatory (Feb. 2020)
• OECD Open Forum on AI: From principles to practice at the Internet Governance Forum 2019
• OECD Forum 2019 session on AI: Next Steps
• Watch the OECD Going Digital Summit sessions (March 2019)
  
• OECD Forum 2018 sessions on AI: The Human-Machine Relationship: Towards Singularity? | Talk on AI: A Double-Edged Sword
  
• AI: Intelligent machines, smart policies. A landmark OECD conference on policy and institutional frameworks for AI (Oct. 2017) | Conference summary
• Joint OECD-Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication of Japan workshop on AI at Internet Governance Forum (Dec. 2017)

• OECD Technology Foresight Forum on AI (Nov. 2016)

The OECD has been working on AI for several years. Milestones include:

• April 2016: G7 ICT Ministers agreed in Takamatsu, Japan, to start an international discussion on the envisaged rapid development of AI.
• November 2016: The OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy holds a Technology Foresight Forum on AI that looked at the benefits and challenges brought by AI development.
• September 2017: G7 ICT and Industry Ministers agree in Turin, Italy, to "look forward to further multistakeholder dialogue and to advancing our understanding of AI cooperation, supported by the OECD."
• October 2017: OECD conference on AI: Intelligent Machines - Smart Policies.
• March 2018: G7 Innovation Ministers agree in Montreal, Canada, to "facilitate multistakeholder dialogue and collaboration on artificial intelligence to inform future policy discussions by G7 governments, supported by the OECD in its multistakeholder convener role".
• September 2018: OECD creates an expert group to foster trust in AI. The group completes its recommendations in February 2019.
• May 2019: Adoption of the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence.
• February 2020: Launch of the OECD.AI Policy Observatory.
• June 2020: Launch of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, to be hosted at the OECD.