The Human Program
A Transatlantic AI Agenda for Reclaiming Our Digital Future
Written by elected officials, staffers, and private sector experts on both sides of the Atlantic, The Human Program: A Transatlantic AI Agenda for Reclaiming Our Digital Future is a collection of essays and policy recommendations that emerged from the 2020 edition of our transatlantic exchange program, the Congressional European Parliamentary Initiative (CEPI).
From June through November 2020, the Bertelsmann Foundation assembled a group of transatlantic policymakers and private sector experts to assess some of the fundamental questions AI raises. Should we view data as a new resource to be mined and extracted with the help of artificial intelligence? How will algorithms speed up the fight against climate change? Will machines achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI) and gain intellectual supremacy over humans?
This publication begins with a section on philosophy, followed by sections on society and the economy. It concludes with a section on geopolitics that reaffirms the importance of the transatlantic relationship when it comes to 21st century considerations of democratic values. While different in nature and opinions, these pieces maintain a common thread: Humans have agency over machines.
The Human Program urges policymakers, thought-leaders, and fellow citizens to realize that it is we, humans, who occupy driver’s seat. Working together across the Atlantic to craft the next generation of emerging technology policy, we can build a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.
