G20 nations reach consensus on global technology policy

G20 ministers concluded a two-day Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday, reaching a consensus on the governance and deployment of emerging technologies.

“Achieving consensus in the G20 is no small feat, but the topic of innovation as a driver of growth brought us together for a historic moment of unity,” said US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He asserted that the agreement provides entrepreneurs with the confidence to invest while ensuring that intellectual property frameworks foster and protect innovation.

The consensus statement, known as the Carolina Principles for Emerging Technologies, outlines shared objectives in six critical pillars. They include pro-innovation policy frameworks, technology for opportunity and prosperity, and skilled technical workforce development. The principles specifically urge member nations to invest in foundational research and strengthen commercialization pathways.

The framework also prioritizes intellectual property policies for Artificial Intelligence (AI) alongside the creation of standards for AI systems and industrial innovation through investment in supply chains.

The meeting also launched the AI Prosperity Objectives and the AI Prosperity Compact to further “technical workforce development across G20 nations and expand opportunities for private sector partnership.”

Michael Kratsios, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which advises the US executive branch on tech issues, noted the vision relies on flexible policy frameworks to drive global growth.

The summit, hosted by the US Commerce Department and OSTP, featured high-level fireside chats with prominent tech leaders including Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta.

The meeting included representatives from 20 nations and unions, including Türkiye, China, the European Union, Russia and the UK.