President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended that regulation for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) be carried out by “a multilateral institution with the size of the United Nations”, in order to benefit society as a whole, instead of “one or two owners”.
The statement was made this Friday (20) during an interview with the program India Today. The Brazilian president is in India, on an official trip.
During the interview, he once again defended that trade relations between countries, especially those that form the Brics, can be carried out using local currencies instead of the US dollar.
AI
During his trip to India, Lula has warned about the need to establish regulation for Artificial Intelligence that guarantees the good use of this tool:
“We need strict regulation, carried out by a multilateral institution the size of the United Nations. This regulation must especially protect children, adolescents and women, as we cannot allow AI to be used to cause harm and violence.”
According to him, the risks of AI being used in a negative way are great and can cause damage and harm to people’s intimate lives, in addition to causing violence.
“There are two or three big platform owners who don’t want any kind of regulation, but if we don’t regulate and we lose control, I believe it won’t be good for humanity,” he said.
“It may even be profitable for one person or another, but for humanity, it will not be positive. We, governments, need to be clear about the need to protect society in the face of this extraordinary thing that is artificial intelligence”, he added.
According to Lula, artificial intelligence is something increasingly fundamental for humanity, but only if it is at the service of civil society.
“It can raise people’s living standards even in areas such as health and education. AI must serve the growth of countries, the improvement of public and private services and, above all, the improvement of working conditions for all humanity. Society is the one who needs to take control over AI”, he added.
BRICS
Asked about his expectations for the future of Brics, Lula said that the bloc is one of the most important things created in the last three decades.
He recalled that other groups have already been created to defend specific common interests. “The G7 acts to defend the richest countries and their policies. The G20 was created after the 2008 global financial crisis. And the BRICS represents the global south.”
According to the president, this is something new, especially considering that the global south includes countries like India and China, which represent half of the world’s population: “Including Indonesia, we exceed half of humanity.”
In this sense, he highlighted the “new institutional approach” promoted by the bloc.
“Unlike international institutions, such as the IMF or the World Bank, we do not need to continue copying models from the 20th century. We can innovate according to the needs of the 21st century and the advances of civil society. Brics is a hope. The expectation is that it will strengthen and make good decisions”, he argued.
Created in 2009, Brics is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China (which are the founding countries), South Africa (which joined in 2011), and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran (admitted in 2024).
Dedollarization
Regarding the bloc’s attempt to reduce dependence on the US dollar in its trade relations, Lula defended respect for countries’ decisions on how they will sell their products.
“That’s why I argue that it is not necessary for a trade agreement between Brazil and India, for example, to be made in dollars. I believe that we can use our own currencies. It is difficult, but we can try. No one needs to depend exclusively on the dollar”, he said.
Lula, however, said he knows that a new system cannot be created overnight. “It is necessary to take into account the specific difficulties of each nation. In my first term, we established with Argentina the purchase of small companies using Brazilian and Argentine currency. This is a process that must be discussed according to what is most advantageous for each country.”
Relationship with USA
Lula reiterated that he has a good relationship with US President Donald Trump and that he is willing to talk to him about issues considered important for both countries, which includes partnerships aimed at exploring critical minerals in Brazilian territory.
He spoke about his personal perception of the US president. “I have already had the opportunity to observe that Trump is an expert in marketing digital and social networks. He treats it like a TV show. In personal encounters, however, he is much calmer and demonstrates tranquility.”
The Brazilian president added that he intends to take advantage of the meetings he will have with Trump to seek “agreements that can serve as an example to the world”, especially those related to the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking; and the issue of critical minerals and rare earths.
“Brazil has many critical minerals and rare earths, but we do not want to transform our country into a sanctuary for humanity,” he said when arguing that the exploration of these materials must be carried out without external impositions.
“I cannot put my sovereignty or democracy in Brazil into question. That belongs to me and my people. But, from a commercial point of view, I am willing to negotiate with the US, just as I will negotiate with Prime Minister Modi [da Índia]”.
Brazil-India relationship
Regarding the relationship between Brazil and India, Lula defended that it be strengthened, which is why he took 300 Brazilian businesspeople on the trip. “And there will be more than 300 Indian businesspeople at the business forum. We want the cultural, political, commercial and economic relationship to be very strong,” he said.
“We want to learn from India and teach what we can teach. We want to buy and sell; show the experience of our companies and build partnerships that benefit the people, and not just isolated victories. That’s why I defend multilateralism”, he concluded.
Expanded article at 2:18 pm
