Overview
The Role of the State in Operationalizing AI Benefit-Sharing: Rules, Institutions, and Strategies.
The development of frontier artificial intelligence (AI) systems is poised to create profound global benefits — but also risks exacerbating existing inequalities. Despite the range in forecasts for achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) spanning from a few years to decades, there is deep consensus on the transformative effects of advanced AI and the need to distribute the benefits equitably.
In response, the notion of "benefit sharing" has gained traction within AI governance discussions. However, despite the growing normative consensus on the desirability of benefit sharing, there is far less analytical attention to concrete implementation pathways — particularly the critical role of states as primary governance actors.
Numerous high-level proposals already exist — universal basic income, new tax instruments, equity sharing models — but what is missing is clarity on how such proposals could be implemented in the next 2–5 years. Therefore, this project addresses a fundamental yet underexplored question: what role can and should states play in structuring the rules, institutions, and strategies necessary to operationalize AI benefit-sharing for their citizens?
Artifacts
Workshop
On September 5, 2025, CASA gathered a group of experts across relevant domains to set the research agenda for international AI benefit-sharing.
AI Governance Simulation
Throughout the workshop, all participants took on the roles of key stakehoder in international AI benefit-sharing regime and had to navigate a series of geopolitical "shocks" by using their strategic resources to protect their interests and influence global events.
People
Panelists
- Prof. Elisa Morgera, University of Strathclyde
- Dr Iason Gabriel, Google DeepMind
- Prof. Anton Korinek, University of Virginia
- Minister Dr Bosun Tijani, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (Nigeria)
- Prof. Robert Trager, University of Oxford
Presentations & Short Papers
- Samantha Carter - "Building Evidence for AI that Works."
- Krishna Sharma - "Mind the Gap: AI awareness, Inequality and the Role of State in Nepal."
- Marjia Siddik - "Toward ASI Stability: A Treaty Framework for US–China Cooperation on Artificial Superintelligence."
- Iman Khwaja - "Participatory Problem Framing: Benefit-Sharing Embedded in the Architecture."
- Liam Epstein - "Capturing and Distributing AI-Generated Value Through Sovereign Wealth Funds."
- Monica Ulloa - "Compute Sovereignty at Scale: Energy and Cost Modelling for LLM Training in the Global South."
- Marianne Lu, Sam Winter-Levy - "The Other AI Race: An Export Promotion Strategy for the Global South."
- Luise Eder - "From Risk Managers to Value Stewards: Re-centring the State in Benefit-Sharing for Generative-AI Governance."
- Said Saillant - "From Tax Holidays to Tech Havens: Five Levers for AI-SEZs."
- Camille Stewart Gloster - "AI Strategy Blueprint: Purpose-Built Roles for Sustainable National Leadership."
- Varun Sen Bahl - "Addressing AI’s Licensing Dilemma: the Extended Collective Licensing Option."
- Leticia Caminero - "AI, IP, and the Public Good: Rethinking Intellectual Property Tools for Equitable AI Innovation."
- Huayizi Chen - "How EU Trade Policy Can Shape the Future of AI Training Data."
Whitepaper Expert Working Group
- Dr Aubra Anthony, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Duncan Cass-Beggs,Centre for International Governance Innovation
- Matthijs Maas, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence
- Dr Chinasa T. Okolo, Brookings Institution
- Miro Pluckebaum, Oxford AI Governance Initiative
- Saad Siddiqui, Safe AI Forum
- Jan Pieters Snoeij
- Dr José Jaime Villalobos, Future of Life Institute
- Anna Yelizarova, Future of Life Institute
Gallery
