UK to Host Global AI Safety Summit at World War Two Codebreakers
Updated: Dec 30, 2023
[Edited] In a bid to position Britain as a global leader in safeguarding the development of artificial intelligence (AI), Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the country will host a global AI summit in November.
The summit will take place at Bletchley Park, the historic site in Milton Keynes where mathematician Alan Turing famously cracked Nazi Germany's Enigma code during World War Two.
Executives from tech companies, government officials, and academics will gather at the summit to discuss the risks associated with AI and explore ways to mitigate them. Topics of discussion are expected to include preventing the use of AI for spreading misinformation during elections and addressing the use of AI in warfare.
"The UK has long been home to transformative technologies of the future, so there is no better place to host the first-ever global AI safety summit than at Bletchley Park," said Prime Minister Sunak. He emphasized the need to embrace the opportunities presented by AI while ensuring its safe development in the years to come.
The decision to organize the summit was announced by Sunak in June following a meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington. Sunak expressed his desire for Britain to become the intellectual and geographical hub of AI regulation.
Governments worldwide are grappling with the challenge of regulating AI to mitigate potential negative consequences without stifling innovation.
Tech entrepreneur and expert Matt Clifford, along with Jonathan Black, a former senior diplomat and deputy national security adviser, have been appointed to lead the preparations for the summit.
Unlike some countries that have created dedicated bodies for AI regulation, Britain has opted to divide regulatory responsibility among existing bodies overseeing competition, human rights, and health and safety.
In May, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) economies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States, and the European Union, called for the adoption of standards to establish trustworthy AI and proposed the establishment of a ministerial forum known as the Hiroshima AI process.
The AI summit at Bletchley Park will provide a platform for global stakeholders to come together and address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. As the world continues to navigate the complexities of AI development, this summit aims to foster collaboration and ensure the responsible and safe advancement of this transformative technology.
Britain will host a global AI summit at Bletchley Park, the historic site of World War Two codebreakers.
The summit aims to discuss the risks associated with AI and explore ways to mitigate them.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak envisions Britain as a global leader in AI regulation.
Source: Reuters