Image Credentials: Image Title: AI and International Governance: Experts Convene at Sciences Po American Foundation Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: August 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle
On January 28, 2025, the Sciences Po American Foundation hosted an in-depth discussion on artificial intelligence and international governance, bringing together prominent experts from academia, industry, and policy. The event featured Camille François, Associate Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Pierre Noro, lecturer at Sciences Po and the Learning Planet Institute, and Derek Leist, Senior Technical Program Manager and AI Governance Lead at IBM Research. The conversation was moderated in the context of rapidly evolving AI technologies and their geopolitical and ethical implications.
From Narrow AI to General-Purpose Systems
The discussion began by noting AI’s transformation over the past several years, evolving from narrowly focused applications to more general-purpose systems. This shift has introduced new complexities in governance, regulation, and ethical responsibility. Pierre Noro addressed the upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris, emphasizing that it would expand beyond the existential risk discussions of the 2023 AI Safety Summit to include topics such as labor market effects, public sector applications, and environmental sustainability.
Camille François highlighted pressing short-term concerns, including harmful AI hallucinations, risks to child safety, and the societal impact of AI-generated content. These issues, she stressed, are already affecting communities and require immediate governance attention.
Diverging Regulatory Models
The panel examined how different regions approach AI regulation. In the United States, the regulatory direction remains uncertain with changes in political leadership, though there are signs of a more deregulatory stance. The European Union’s AI Act, by contrast, establishes a structured, risk-based framework, complete with an AI Office to oversee compliance. China’s AI strategy raised questions about state-aligned model development, especially with the recent debut of DeepSeek.
Open vs. Closed AI Models
One of the liveliest debates centered on the merits of open-source versus closed AI systems. Noro observed that large technology companies often favor closed models for reasons of safety, intellectual property, and economic incentives. Open-source systems, however, can provide greater transparency, auditability, and accessibility, enabling a broader community to test for bias, improve safety, and adapt models for specific tasks.
Civil Society as a Watchdog
Beyond state and corporate governance, the panel emphasized the importance of civil society. Independent organizations are increasingly evaluating AI systems for bias, fairness, and security vulnerabilities. François underscored the need for public engagement to ensure AI governance remains inclusive and reflective of diverse perspectives rather than being dictated solely by governmental or corporate priorities.
Looking Ahead
The conversation concluded with reflections on AI’s trajectory and the need for governance mechanisms that address both urgent challenges and long-term risks. The upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris was identified as a pivotal opportunity to shape a global governance framework that balances innovation, regulation, and ethical responsibility.
In closing, Thibaut Jaulin, academic advisor and lecturer at Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs, introduced a new Master’s program in Technology and Global Affairs. The program blends social sciences with a focus on the geopolitical, economic, and societal impacts of technology, and will be offered in two-year, one-year (for experienced professionals), and joint degree formats in partnership with IE University.
This event underscored that AI’s future will be shaped not just by technological breakthroughs but by the collective efforts of policymakers, academics, industry leaders, and civil society to ensure its development serves the public good.