As governments begin deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in public administration, national security and policymaking, questions about its safe usage and accountability have taken centre-stage. The issue came into focus in the U.S. after reports revealed a dispute between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic, which refused to remove safeguards that were in place to prevent mass surveillance and the usage of autonomous weapons. The incident underscored a deeper tension between governments seeking to deploy AI systems and the companies that control them.

As states collaborate more closely with AI companies, who ultimately governs the systems that govern us? Isha Suri and Raman Jit Singh Chima discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Areena Arora.

Isha Suri is Research Lead at the Centre for Internet and Society. Raman Jit Singh Chima is Asia Pacific Policy Director and Senior International Counsel at Access Now, a nonprofit committed to defending digital rights