G7 summit ends after Ukraine discussions
The Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima wrapped up yesterday after discussions on the Ukraine crisis and other issues with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy participating following his highly-publicised arrival in Japan.
During yesterday's sessions, in which some leaders from emerging and developing nations in the "Global South" are also taking part, Zelenskiy called for broad support from the international community.
On Saturday, Zelenskiy landed at Hiroshima airport on a French government plane while the G-7 leaders released a communique in which they pledged to support Ukraine.
Zelenskiy met on the same day with leaders from countries including Italy, Britain, India, France and Germany.
The heads of the world's leading democracies meeting in the Japanese city of Hiroshima said they were prepared to build "constructive and stable" relations with Beijing while reducing their dependence on trade with the world's second largest economy.
"Our policy approaches are not designed to harm China, we do not seek to thwart China's economic progress and development," said the G7 in a communique issued on the second day of the three day summit.
"We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognise that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying."
The leaders noted that cooperation with China was necessary given its role in the international community and size of its economy, as well as areas of common interest such as climate and conservation efforts.
'Responsible' use of generative AI
The world must urgently assess the impact of generative artificial intelligence, G7 leaders said Saturday, announcing they will launch discussions this year on "responsible" use of the technology.
A working group will be set up to tackle issues from copyright to disinformation, the seven leading economies said in a final communique released during a summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
Text generation tools such as CHATGPT, image creators and music composed using AI have sparked delight, alarm and legal battles as creators accuse them of scraping material without permission.
Governments worldwide are under pressure to move quickly to mitigate the risks, with the chief executive of Chatgpt's Openai telling US lawmakers this week that regulating AI was essential.
"We recognise the need to immediately take stock of the opportunities and challenges of generative AI, which is increasingly prominent across countries and sectors," the G7 statement said.
"We task relevant ministers to establish the Hiroshima AI process, through a G7 working group, in an inclusive manner... for discussions on generative AI by the end of this year," it said.
"These discussions could include topics such as governance, safeguard of intellectual property rights including copyrights, promotion of transparency, response to foreign information manipulation, including disinformation, and responsible utilisation of these technologies."
Decarbonised road sector
The Group of Seven nations on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to a highly decarbonised road sector by 2030 and committed to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions on roads by 2050.
A G7 statement highlighted various actions countries are taking, including policies for achieving 100 per cent or the overwhelming penetration of sales for zero-emission vehicles in the light-duty vehicle (LDV) category by 2035 and beyond.
The policies include actions to achieve 100 per cent electrified vehicles for new passenger car sales by 2035 and promotion of infrastructure and sustainable carbon-neutral fuels, including sustainable bio- and synthetic fuels, it said.
"We note the opportunities that these policies offer to contribute to a highly decarbonised road sector, including progressing towards a share of over 50 per cent of zero emission LDVS sold globally by 2030," the document added.