Abstract
As the capabilities of AI systems have continued to improve, the technology’s global stakes have become increasingly clear. In response, a ‘advanced AI governance’ community has come into its own, drawing on diverse bodies of research to analyze the potential problems that this technology poses; map the options available for its governance; and articulate and advance concrete policy proposals. However, this field still faces a lack of internal and external clarity over its different research programmes. In response, this literature review provides an updated overview and taxonomy of research in advanced AI governance.
After briefly setting out the aims, scope, and limits of this project, it reviews three major lines of work: (I) problem-clarifying research aimed at understanding the challenges advanced AI poses for governance, by mapping the strategic parameters (technical, deployment, governance) around its development, and by deriving indirect guidance from history, models, or theory; (II) option-identifying work aimed at understanding affordances for governing these problems, by mapping potential key actors, their levers of governance over AI, and pathways to influence whether or how these are utilized; (III) prescriptive work aimed at identifying priorities and articulating concrete proposals for advanced AI policy, on the basis of certain views of the problem and governance options. The aim is that, by collecting and organizing the existing literature, this review helps contribute to greater analytical and strategic clarity, enabling more focused and productive research, public debate and policymaking on the critical challenges of advanced AI.
