This photo shows the logo of the G7 summit in Savelletri, Italy, on Friday. Reuters

The heads of the Group of Seven major powers said in a joint statement Friday that they will launch an action plan to deal with the positive and negative impacts of artificial intelligence on employment, according to Jiji Press.

In the statement, adopted at their meeting in Puglia, southern Italy, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union welcomed the support from countries outside the G7 forum for the Hiroshima AI Process, an international rulemaking framework for generative AI led by Tokyo, saying that they recognise the importance of advancing the framework's outcomes.

The Hiroshima AI Process was established at last year's G7 summit, which was chaired by Japan. Over 50 countries and regions have signed onto the framework. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in the G-7 leaders' discussions Friday that he hopes to continue cooperation on the subject.

Under this year's G7 chair, Italy, discussions have centered on the potential benefits of AI to labor and the risk of the technology depriving people of work.  The G7 leaders said in the statement that they will "work to ensure that AI enables increased productivity, quality jobs and decent work," and that they will strengthen labor market policies, including in light of tackling AI's negative effects.

WAM