For the last 30 years, the JPEG image format has been a staple for the internet’s billions of users. While the technologies used to display images have evolved tremendously during the past few decades, the JPEG format is still used everywhere. This is a great example of what can happen when a new technology develops under consensus-based, responsive, and inclusive governance.

Now, we have a chance to do this again. Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t the first technology to affect day-to-day life for people all over the world, and it certainly won’t be the last. As a university professor, the founder of a company, and a long-standing leader in international standards development, I have a fortunate vantage point. My many perspectives allow me to view the current applications of AI and its promise. To me, there’s no doubt that responsible governance is the only way to deliver on the potential of AI while avoiding its negative side effects. 

That governance must encompass education, technology, and regulation. But most important, it must be founded on inclusive and reliable international standards.

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