Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting in Takasaki, Gunma prefecture, Japan on April 29, 2023. (Photo: Kyodo/ VNA)

As data exchanges become a key part of global trade, digital and technology ministers from Japan, the United States, and European nations also affirmed during their two-day meeting in eastern Japan the need to establish an international arrangement to enhance the free flow of trusted data across national borders.

According to a joint statement released after the meeting, given that generative AI technologies are increasingly prominent across countries and sectors, the ministers recognized the need to take stock in the near term of the opportunities and challenges of these technologies and to continue promoting safety and trust.  

They also endorsed an action plan toward "creating open and enabling environments for responsible AI innovation," calling for broader stakeholder participation in developing international standards over AI governance frameworks.