In 1979, IBM published a training manual containing a sentence that reads like prophecy: "A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision." At the time, computers were beginning to transform finance, logistics, and enterprise operations, but they were still understood primarily as tools. Machines could process information, accelerate calculations, and assist human decision-making. Responsibility, however, remained firmly human.

To achieve the potential benefits and preventing and mitigating the risks of emerging technologies for people and the planet, AI development, deployment and governance must be in the public interest.