G20 unanimously endorses US-backed ‘Carolina Principles’ AI framework

All 20 members of the Group of 20 unanimously endorsed a US-backed framework for governing artificial intelligence on Wednesday, handing the Trump administration a diplomatic win at a two-day tech summit in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The non-binding accord, dubbed the Carolina Principles, calls on governments to apply sector-specific approaches to AI rule-making, avoid creating new regulatory bodies, and work more closely with private industry when evaluating new technologies.qz+1

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced the agreement at the close of the G20 Innovation Ministerial, saying that securing support from all participating countries required "an enormous amount of work." White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios said the principles were designed to promote flexible policy frameworks that drive economic growth. "That is the spirit of the Carolina Principles, and that is how we will expand opportunity for Americans and people around the world," he said in a statement.awazthevoice+1

Tech Leaders Back Minimal Regulation

The summit featured appearances by some of the most prominent figures in AI. Nvidia ↗ 0.84% CEO Jensen Huang urged governments to focus on demonstrated harms rather than hypothetical ones. "The technology is in its formative stages, and the advice that I would have is to regulate practical and actual harm, and not regulate theoretical and hypothetical harm," Huang said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called AI use "non-negotiable," comparing the technology's importance to electricity and predicting it would create "the greatest entrepreneurial explosion" in history. Elon Musk, appearing via video link, argued that heavy regulation would stifle innovation and said AI could increase the global economy by 20% to 30%, according to The Wall Street Journal News Corp ↘ 2.36%.independent+2

Rare Unity, Lingering Divisions

The framework drew backing even from US adversaries. China and Russia both endorsed the principles, weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington for talks that will include discussions on AI. The agreement will be presented for formal adoption at the G20 leaders summit scheduled for December at Trump's golf club in Doral, Florida.thestar+1

Still, divisions remain. The European Commission's executive vice president for technology sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, cautioned that AI is generating new threats — including what she described as a recent wave of attacks by rogue AI models — that will require close international coordination. "It's not easy to agree among so many different countries" on AI, she said. The EU has pursued a more structured, risk-based regulatory approach, placing it at odds with Washington's push for fewer AI-specific restrictions.qz+2