Chapter 4 companion material — Artificial Intelligence and Human Extinction Risk
This analysis applies the book’s analytical framework — the Leiss distinction between external and self-control, and the tool-to-actor gradient — to AI governance frameworks across all G20 members. Six dimensions were coded for each jurisdiction. The comparison drew on the OECD AI Policy Observatory, the IAPP Global AI Law and Policy Tracker, national government publications, and the International AI Safety Report (Bengio et al. 2025).
No jurisdiction governs AI as an actor. Every G20 framework defines AI as a product, service, or infrastructure under human direction. The entire global regulatory apparatus assumes the tool end of the gradient — without exception.
Every framework relies exclusively on external control. No jurisdiction requires anything resembling intrinsic alignment, corrigibility, or value-loading. Global AI governance operates entirely through monitoring, auditing, and enforcement imposed from outside the system.
Regulatory adaptation is too slow. Even the fastest national cycles are measured in months. If capability transitions occur on shorter timescales, every framework becomes structurally obsolete before it can respond.
The strongest framework is already buckling. The EU AI Act — the world’s most ambitious regulatory effort — is running into structural obstacles before its core provisions take effect. The difficulty is not administrative. It is structural.
Click any row to see the full analysis for that jurisdiction.
| Jurisdiction | AI Treated As | Legal Status | Adaptation Speed | Harm Model | Actor Test |
|---|
Six dimensions were coded for each jurisdiction, derived from the book’s core distinctions:
Sources: OECD AI Policy Observatory; IAPP Global AI Law and Policy Tracker; national government publications; International AI Safety Report (Bengio et al. 2025). Analysis conducted 2024–2025. Data current as of early 2025; see update log below.
This analysis is updated periodically as national frameworks evolve. All versions are maintained for citation purposes.