Digital Sovereignty, Digital Expansionism, and the Prospects for Global AI Governance

Quo Vadis, Sovereignty?: New Conceptual Boundaries in the Digital Age of China, Forthcoming

33 Pages Posted: 27 Jun 2023

See all articles by Huw Roberts

Huw Roberts

University of Oxford - Oxford Internet Institute

Emmie Hine

Yale University - Digital Ethics Center; University of Bologna- Department of Legal Studies; KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP)

Luciano Floridi

Yale University - Digital Ethics Center; University of Bologna- Department of Legal Studies

Date Written: January 03, 2023

Abstract

In recent years, policymakers, academics, and practitioners have increasingly called for the development of global governance mechanisms for artificial intelligence (AI). This paper considers the prospects for these calls in light of two other geopolitical trends: digital sovereignty and digital expansionism. While calls for global AI governance promote the surrender of some state sovereignty over AI, digital sovereignty and expansionism seek to secure greater state control over digital technologies. To demystify the tensions between these trends and their potential consequences, we undertake a case analysis of digital sovereignty and digital expansionism in China, the European Union, and the United States. We argue that the extraterritoriality embedded in these three actors’ policies and escalatory competitive narratives, particularly those from the US, will likely undermine substantive global AI governance cooperation. However, nascent areas of alignment or compromise, notably in data governance and technical standards, could prove fruitful starting points for building trust in multilateral fora, such as the G20 or United Nations.

Keywords: digital sovereignty, digital expansionism, global governance, artificial intelligence, technical standards

Suggested Citation

Roberts, Huw and Hine, Emmie and Floridi, Luciano, Digital Sovereignty, Digital Expansionism, and the Prospects for Global AI Governance (January 03, 2023). Quo Vadis, Sovereignty?: New Conceptual Boundaries in the Digital Age of China, Forthcoming , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4483271

Huw Roberts (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Oxford Internet Institute ( email )

1 St. Giles
University of Oxford
Oxford OX1 3PG Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire OX1 3JS
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://https://digitalethicslab.oii.ox.ac.uk/huw-roberts/

Emmie Hine

Yale University - Digital Ethics Center ( email )

85, Trumbull Street
New Haven, CT 06511
United States

University of Bologna- Department of Legal Studies ( email )

Via Zamboni 22
Bologna, Bo 40100
Italy

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP) ( email )

Sint-Michielsstraat 6 box 3443
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

Luciano Floridi

Yale University - Digital Ethics Center ( email )

85 Trumbull Street
New Haven, CT CT 06511
United States
2034326473 (Phone)

University of Bologna- Department of Legal Studies ( email )

Via Zamboni 22
Bologna, Bo 40100
Italy

HOME PAGE: http://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/luciano.floridi/en

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