Back to the future? The promise and peril of historical analogies in AI governance
Proponents of AI governance often look to the past for examples of how AI might be governed multilaterally. Individuals concerned about AI arms races borrow from nuclear institutions, while those who worry about uncertainty support a scientific panel akin to the IPCC. Others draw on issue areas as diverse as particle physics, civil aviation, and financial regulation.
In this talk, Dr Julia Morse, Visiting Fellow of the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, will discuss the value and limitations of such approaches. Historical analogies offer an easy template for policymakers to envision AI governance. Yet each governance body reflects a distinct set of political opportunities and constraints, many of which map uneasily onto the challenge of AI. Dr Morse will highlight such considerations and offer a framework for deciding if, when, and how to borrow from historical examples when designing AI governance.
Register to attend in-person:www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/events/historical-analogies-in-ai-governance
Register to watch online: www.crowdcast.io/c/historical-analogies-in-ai-governance
Date:
30 April 2025, 12:30
Venue:
Oxford Martin School, 34 Broad Street OX1 3BD
Venue Details:
Lecture Theatre (and Online)
Speaker:
Dr Julia Morse (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Organising department:
Oxford Martin School
Organiser:
Oxford Martin School (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
events@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk
Part of:
Oxford Martin School Events
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/events/historical-analogies-in-ai-governance
Cost:
Free
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Hannah Mitchell
