On Thursday, the United States joined other G7 nations in starting an “international initiative” aimed at opposing the authoritarian abuse of the use of artificial intelligence (AI), especially by the Communist Party of China (CCP).

The US joined forces with G7 members Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Michael Kratsios, White House chief technology officer, is leading the country’s involvement in the global partnership. On Thursday, members of the G7 nation met on a video conference and discussed how countries around the world could advance in artificial intelligence in a way that “respects Western values, civil liberties, and human rights.”

Each country is required to nominate experts in the industry to serve on GPAI (Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence). These experts will be tasked to inform and update international AI policies on issues like “bias, trustworthiness, security, workforce development, and commercialization.” The United States is set to announce its nominees ahead of the 2020 G7 conference.

The G7 representatives on the video conference thoroughly discussed ways in which the CCP was clearly abusing artificial intelligence, even before the coronavirus pandemic hit the world. Some examples that were mentioned were social media censorship and a color-coded quarantine tracking system. Both of which were considered “particularly abhorrent” by the US and other Western nations.

Kratsios said that it matters now more than ever that America and its allies remain united by the same desire to push for technological leadership while still protecting human rights and freedoms. “When we do, we will use remarkable innovations not only to defeat the virus, but also to build a flourishing future.”

He also added that while communist China continues to abuse technology to violate basic human rights, the United States, on the other hand, is leading its fellow allies to strengthen innovation in a way that “upholds privacy and freedom.” “The Trump Administration will continue to stand up for Americans’ values and interests on the world stage,” Kratsios concluded.