AI and society

UK to host first international AI safety summit this November

Matthias Bastian

UKGov

The first AI Safety Summit will be held in the UK in early November. It will bring together key companies, government representatives and leading researchers to discuss the future of AI safety.

The event, announced by the UK government, will take place on November 1-2 at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. The government describes the venue as "one of the birthplaces of computer science".

The event is expected to bring together businesses, governments and researchers to discuss how the risks of AI can be minimized through international collaboration. In particular, foundational AI ground models have the potential to drive economic growth, accelerate science and deliver societal benefits, the UK government says in its announcement.

"AI has the potential to revolutionise the way we live, but we must also minimise its risks," writes the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Video: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

A home game for Deepmind

The event will build on existing AI safety initiatives. In particular, the UK government cites initiatives from the OECD, the Global Partnership on AI, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, as well as standards development organizations and the recently agreed G7 Hiroshima AI Process.

London-based Deepmind announced its participation, calling the event "the first major global summit on AI safety" and a "key moment of international collaboration to help ensure that AI systems are built and deployed responsibly."

"International collaboration is the cornerstone of our approach to AI regulation, and we want the summit to result in leading nations and experts agreeing on a shared approach to its safe use," says Technology Minister Michelle Donelan.

"To fully embrace the extraordinary opportunities of artificial intelligence, we must grip and tackle the risks to ensure it develops safely in the years ahead," says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

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