Executive Summary
This report from RAND examines how business and civil society can help manage and mitigate the risks of transformative AI, complementing government regulation. It identifies three key roles for nongovernmental actors: managing technical risks, shaping market incentives for safety, and supporting social stability. The research synthesizes literature, stakeholder interviews, and RAND-designed games to propose actionable strategies for AI governance.
Why It Matters
This document is crucial for defense and geopolitical analysts as it outlines how non-state actors can influence the governance and risk mitigation of advanced AI, a technology with profound implications for national security, economic power, and global stability. Understanding these non-governmental roles is essential for anticipating future AI policy landscapes and strategic competition.
Key Takeaways
- Nongovernmental actors can manage technical risks, shape market incentives for safety, and support social stability to mitigate transformative AI risks.
- Existing corporate safety frameworks, while a vital first layer, require external oversight and transparency to be effective and sustainable.
- Multistakeholder coordination and independent assurance mechanisms are critical for addressing systemic AI risks that cut across sectors and borders.
- Civil society plays a crucial watchdog and advocacy role, using public pressure and independent research to hold companies accountable and influence policy.
- The EU AI Act's approach of using voluntary codes of practice to inform and expedite formal governance highlights the interplay between multistakeholder outputs and legal frameworks.
Strategic Relevance
The strategic relevance lies in understanding the multi-faceted approach to governing transformative AI, which is a critical dual-use technology. Effective governance, involving both state and non-state actors, is vital for preventing destabilizing military innovations, pervasive disinformation, and other societal disruptions that could impact national security and geopolitical power balances. The report highlights the need for a 'network of networks' approach to AI governance, which has direct implications for international cooperation and competition in AI development and deployment.