Thursday, November 30th — Friday, December 1st 2023
Public Event
Time:
EST | 10am - 3:30pm
Format:
Online: Zoom Events
In-person: Jack Morton Auditorium , George Washington University (805 21st St NW, Washington, D.C.)
Attendance note:
Online attendance is open to all. There is no capacity limit.
However, please be aware that in-person seats are limited. As we have reached the initial threshold for in-person seats, registrants will be placed on a waiting list and informed of availability on a rolling basis.
Closed-door Dialogues and Reception
Time:
EST | 4pm - 7pm
Format:
In-person
Invitation-only
Attendance note:
Following the public event on each day, we will host invitation-only sessions under Chatham House Rule.
Closed-door dialogues won’t be recorded, but key takeaways will be featured in the fifth edition’s report.
Since last year’s edition of The Athens Roundtable, the AI landscape has radically evolved. The 2023 rise of general-purpose AI systems, foundation models, and generative AI, have heightened concerns about AI development, deployment, and governance. This transformation has triggered a host of repercussions, including big tech power concentration, geopolitical shifts, regulatory capture, pervasiveness of generative AI in consumer digital offerings, and increased threats to information ecosystems and the democratic order.
The accelerated race, driven by a quest for leadership in next-generation AI has presented new risks to the development of safe and ethical AI, spurring international responses at platforms including the UN Security Council, the G7 summit in Hiroshima, UK’s upcoming Summit on AI Safety, and the transatlantic Trade and Technology Council.
AI governance now stands at the forefront of national policy and legislative initiatives. The US has ramped up governance actions through the Biden Administration’s recent executive order, Congressional hearings, proposed bills, draft legislation, and voluntary commitments by leading AI companies. Meanwhile, the EU is nearing final discussions on the AI Act, and China has introduced specific regulations for generative AI. As AI regulations evolve globally, courts face pivotal cases that could transform technology, individual autonomy, our collective truth, and the fabric of our democratic systems.
There is an urgent need to act on these policy windows and implement effective governance mechanisms to ensure that AI systems improve the welfare and well-being of people, contribute to positive, sustainable global economic activity, increase innovation and productivity, and help respond to key global challenges. It will be critical to reconcile technological advancements with robust governance frameworks that uphold the rule of law—now and in the future.
This year, The Athens Roundtable convenes in Washington, D.C., to examine the risks of foundation models and generative AI, as well as promising governance mechanisms to mitigate them.
Our guiding questions are:
From regulatory, legal, and compliance perspectives, how can we ensure foundation models and generative AI are governed effectively from development to deployment?
How should international law and cooperation across jurisdictions and sectors be leveraged to counter the increasing geopolitical and market pressures associated with AI development?
Our goal is to collaboratively chart pathways for implementing impactful governance solutions. We hope to facilitate direct and indirect impact towards the following outcomes:
First, to promote evidence-based national and international strategies for governing the development and deployment of foundation models.
Second, to drive cross-border, multi-stakeholder coordination focused on institutional innovation and a rights-based approach to AI safety.
Third, to align AI development and deployment with the rule of law through proactive commitments, regulation, and legal compliance.
For a detailed view of the event schedule and list of confirmed speakers, please see our agenda.
The fifth edition is brought to you by The Future Society, alongside prominent co-hosts:
Will recordings and key takeaways of the sessions be available? You can recap on the Fifth Edition recordings here. We will also be synthesizing key insights and outcomes in a report in 2024. Stay tuned!
How much does it cost to attend The Athens Roundtable? Attendance—both in-person and online—is free.
Can The Athens Roundtable help herewith funding for in-person attendance? We regret that we cannot provide funding for travel, accommodation, or any other costs related to your attendance, but we encourage you to seek funding from other sources.
Can The Athens Roundtable assist with visa procedures for international attendees? We regret that we cannot assist with visa applications or procedures for international participants wishing to attend in-person.
What can I expect from the online experience? The Future Society and our partners are committed to democratizing access to AI governance conversations. In this spirit and seeking the most impactful way to reach our global audience, we are providing a special online platform for this year’s edition, designed to enhance networking and dialogue opportunities. We will announce the special features of the online platform soon.
