This story is from November 02, 2023
Countries, including India, UK, US and China, on Wednesday agreed to work together to protect against the potential for artificial intelligence to cause “catastrophic harm”, as political and tech leaders gathered for the world’s first summit on artificial intelligence (AI) safety.
The UK government kicked off the two-day event at Britain’s WWII code-breaking centre in Bletchley Park, north of London, by publishing the “Bletchley Declaration” signed by 28 countries and the EU.
In it, they agreed on “the urgent need to understand and collectively manage potential risks through a new joint global effort to ensure AI is developed and deployed in a safe, responsible way for the benefit of the global community”. “We resolve to work together in an inclusive manner to ensure human-centric, trustworthy and responsible AI,” the declaration said. The document fell short, however, of setting specific policy goals. A second meeting is scheduled to be held in six months in South Korea and a third in France in a year. China’s involvement is particularly significant, given fraught relations that exist with West over areas like trade, security and human rights.
UK PM Rishi Sunak said the declaration was “a landmark achievement that sees the world’s greatest AI powers agree on the urgency behind understanding the risks of AI – helping ensure the long-term future of our children and grandchildren.” But US vice-president Kamala Harris urged countries to go further and faster. In a speech at the US embassy, Harris said we need to start acting now to address “the full spectrum” of AI risks, not just the most catastrophic. She urged to build a future where AI creates opportunity and advances equity” while protecting rights. The UK and US both said they were setting up their own institutes to assess and mitigate the risks of the fast-emerging technology. Ahead of the meet, the G7 powers agreed on Monday on a non-binding “code of conduct” for companies developing the most advanced AI systems.
The UK government kicked off the two-day event at Britain’s WWII code-breaking centre in Bletchley Park, north of London, by publishing the “Bletchley Declaration” signed by 28 countries and the EU.
In it, they agreed on “the urgent need to understand and collectively manage potential risks through a new joint global effort to ensure AI is developed and deployed in a safe, responsible way for the benefit of the global community”. “We resolve to work together in an inclusive manner to ensure human-centric, trustworthy and responsible AI,” the declaration said. The document fell short, however, of setting specific policy goals. A second meeting is scheduled to be held in six months in South Korea and a third in France in a year. China’s involvement is particularly significant, given fraught relations that exist with West over areas like trade, security and human rights.
UK PM Rishi Sunak said the declaration was “a landmark achievement that sees the world’s greatest AI powers agree on the urgency behind understanding the risks of AI – helping ensure the long-term future of our children and grandchildren.” But US vice-president Kamala Harris urged countries to go further and faster. In a speech at the US embassy, Harris said we need to start acting now to address “the full spectrum” of AI risks, not just the most catastrophic. She urged to build a future where AI creates opportunity and advances equity” while protecting rights. The UK and US both said they were setting up their own institutes to assess and mitigate the risks of the fast-emerging technology. Ahead of the meet, the G7 powers agreed on Monday on a non-binding “code of conduct” for companies developing the most advanced AI systems.
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