The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) is building a global framework for personal data protection and data governance cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) era, working through the Group of Seven (G7).
The PIPC said Chairperson Song Kyong-hee will attend the "G7 Privacy Authorities Roundtable," held in Paris, France, for two days starting Tuesday. Launched on the occasion of the 2021 G7 summit in the United Kingdom, the roundtable is a global consultative body that has addressed core tasks including trust-based data flows, responses to emerging technologies, and enforcement cooperation.
Korea was invited for the second consecutive year, following last year. Excluding major international organizations, it is the only country-level invitee, a result interpreted as international recognition of Korea's leadership in personal data policy.
At the meeting, hosted by France's data protection authority (CNIL), participating countries will share personal data issues arising from emerging technologies such as autonomous AI and smart glasses, as well as child data protection policies, and discuss measures for international cooperation.
Song will appear as a presenter at the "G7+ International Cooperation Session" on Wednesday morning, where she plans to share Korea's "achievements in personal data policy in the AI era" and its "plan to shift toward a prevention-focused personal data management system." At the session, Song intends to stress that major G7+ countries should play an active role in establishing norms suited to the rapidly changing technological environment.
Meanwhile, in connection with the meeting, the PIPC will hold the "AI & Privacy International Symposium" in Paris on Tuesday, jointly with the Korea Legislation Research Institute. The symposium is a follow-up to the "Innovation-Oriented AI Privacy Joint Declaration," which was realized under Korea's leadership. Regulatory authorities from countries including Singapore, the Netherlands, and Argentina, along with experts from international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and UNESCO, will participate to discuss "implementing risk-based AI and privacy governance."
In addition, Song will hold separate bilateral meetings with the privacy commissions of France (CNIL) and Argentina (AAIP) to discuss the establishment of AI personal data norms with global interoperability and cooperation measures to bridge gaps between nations.
"As AI technology develops at a rapid pace, international cooperation to harmonize personal data protection and data utilization has become more important than ever," Song said. "Going forward, we will continue to contribute to building trustworthy global data governance based on G7+ leadership."
