Asianfin--Leaders of the Group of 20 have agreed to collaborate on fighting disinformation and to set an agenda for artificial intelligence, as their governments contend with the rapid proliferation of misinformation and hate speech.

Meeting this week in Maceio, the capital of Brazil's northeastern state of Alagoas, the ministers stressed in a statement the importance of digital platforms being transparent and "in line with relevant policies and applicable legal frameworks."

This marks the first time in the G20’s history that the group has formally acknowledged the issue of disinformation and called for transparency and accountability from digital platforms, according to João Brant, Secretary for Digital Policy at the Brazilian presidency, who spoke to The Associated Press by phone.

G20 representatives also agreed to establish guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence, advocating for the "ethical, transparent, and accountable use of AI," with human oversight and adherence to privacy and human rights laws.