The Most Dangerous Silence: An AI Ethics Declaration Without the Unite…

인간의 뇌를 대체하는 AI를 설명하는 이미지 / 챗 GPT로 생성

On the 23rd, the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), an international coalition of data protection authorities, announced a “Joint Declaration on AI-Generated Content and Personal Data Protection.” Signed by 61 supervisory authorities from 52 countries, the document is more than a statement of principle. It is an urgent warning about a reality in which artificial intelligence synthesizes faces without consent, manipulates voices, and even distorts and spreads images of children. At a moment when AI threatens human dignity, the world chose to confront this risk together. Yet the name of the United States was absent.

The core issue becomes clearer when considering that many of the companies directly affected by this declaration are American. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT; xAI, developer of Grok; Anthropic, maker of Claude; and Google, behind Gemini—all are U.S.-based firms.

Given the reality that global tech giants use personal data as training material and freely process images, videos, and voices, the declaration’s intent is clear: to prioritize people over technology, and safety over innovation. Yet uniquely, the United States—long a champion of “freedom” and “human rights”—did not participate.

The declaration takes a firm stance. It makes clear that generating non-consensual intimate images may constitute a crime. It calls on all AI companies to implement robust safeguards against the misuse of personal data and to establish systems capable of responding promptly to requests for the removal of harmful content. It also includes age-appropriate information obligations for children and guardians. For companies seeking to evade technological responsibility, this is unmistakable pressure.

Song Kyung-hee, Chairperson of South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission, stated in an official release that the international community would jointly respond to the risks of personal data violations stemming from the misuse of AI content generation technologies such as deepfakes, and pledged to lead efforts in building a trust-based AI environment both domestically and globally.

However, the U.S. government turned away from what could be described as a collective commitment of humanity. The reason seems apparent: the protection of its domestic companies.

Such justification is unconvincing. The challenges facing today’s AI industry are not merely about competition; they are matters of ethics and human rights. If the United States ignores even this dimension, it risks being seen not as a technological leader but as an ethical laggard—perhaps even as a coercive economic power in the eyes of others.

More troubling is that the U.S. absence reflects not just political calculation but a deeper, technology-first mindset—one that prioritizes market logic over privacy and child protection. In debates over internet regulation, platform monopolies, social media accountability, and content moderation, the United States has often been criticized for stepping back from international consensus in the name of corporate freedom. This time appears no different. Meanwhile, other nations repeatedly share the burden of the resulting harms.

At a time when new principles are urgently needed for the AI era, America’s detachment is difficult to justify. As the world joins hands to prevent AI abuse, the United States appears focused on weighing industrial interests. Yet innovation without ethics cannot endure. If the United States truly seeks to lead the world, it must first return to the place of responsibility.

The threats posed by AI are already real. The gap left by the United States makes global privacy more vulnerable. As a nation of technological innovation, its responsibility extends beyond markets. It bears the weight of safeguarding human dignity. What is needed now is not silence, but participation. The silence of the largest nation may well be the greatest risk.