The Group of Twenty agrees to jointly combat misinformation and formulate guidelines for artificial intelligence

On September 14, 2024, news from São Paulo. Leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) have agreed to work together to combat misinformation and set an agenda for artificial intelligence. Governments are grappling with the rapid and large-scale spread of misinformation and hate speech.

This week in Maceió, the capital of Alagoas state in northeastern Brazil, G20 ministers emphasized in a statement the need for digital platforms to be transparent and comply with policy and legal frameworks. João Brant, secretary for digital policy at the Brazilian presidency, said this is the first time the G20 has recognized the problem of misinformation and called for platform transparency and accountability.

G20 representatives also agreed to formulate guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence, calling for the use of artificial intelligence in an ethical, transparent and responsible manner, with human supervision and in compliance with privacy and human rights laws. Renata Millie, an adviser to Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, said she hopes this content will be mentioned in the leaders' declaration and that South Africa will continue this work. She said there are differences among countries including China and the United States, but ultimately a consensus has been reached that the world's richest countries should cooperate to reduce global asymmetries in the development of artificial intelligence.

This week's meeting was held after X (formerly Twitter) was banned in Brazil. Alexandre de Moraes, a justice of Brazil's Supreme Court, ordered the ban on X because of a months-long dispute with X owner Elon Musk. X was reluctant to block some far-right users accused of undermining Brazilian democracy. Musk called the Brazilian judge autocratic. Brazil currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20, and President Lula has placed issues of concern to developing countries at the center of the agenda.