In a remarkable show of support for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s vision, influential figures from Silicon Valley are poised to converge at the forthcoming Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds high hopes for this gathering, seeing it as a pivotal step towards solidifying Britain’s prominence in the regulation of AI technology.
Scheduled for a two-day event next week, the summit boasts an impressive guest list. Among the notable attendees are the chief executives of the world’s three major AI labs: Sam Altman of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis of Google Deepmind, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic. Their participation is considered instrumental in the government’s mission to ensure the safe development of AI models.
The event is not without star power either. Elon Musk’s xAI start-up will be represented, and key figures in the AI industry, including Alex Karp of Palantir, Aidan Gomez of Cohere, and Emad Mostaque of Stability, will also be present. Major tech players Meta and Microsoft are sending their policy chiefs, Sir Nick Clegg and Brad Smith, respectively. Google will be represented by James Manyika, the head of technology and society.
As the summit approaches, participating companies are being encouraged to endorse a statement that is anticipated to be signed by global leaders during the event. This statement, a product of weeks of negotiations involving officials from the US, EU, G7 countries, and China, is set to highlight the potential “catastrophic harm” AI might inflict if left unregulated.
Furthermore, companies will be urged to publicize their policies outlining their commitment to “safe AI development and deployment.” They will also be asked to elaborate on how they envision AI can help address pressing global challenges.
The corporate enthusiasm for this event is remarkable, especially as questions loom over the number of world leaders attending. While US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to represent the United States, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has declined his invitation. French President Emmanuel Macron is likely to attend, and China is also expected to participate. The decision to invite China has sparked controversy and is likely to be referenced in the joint statement, which emphasizes the importance of involving a diverse array of partners.
Prime Minister Sunak, the driving force behind this summit, has expressed concerns about the escalating capabilities of AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. His goal is to foster global cooperation in establishing guidelines and conducting research to manage AI’s risks. Topics of discussion will include the potential for AI to influence elections.
While the Bletchley Park summit won’t immediately lead to the creation of a new AI regulatory body or international laws, it could set the stage for future regulations. Sunak envisions Britain taking a leading role in this endeavor. Recent reports have hinted at the UK government’s consideration of a prominent role for the £100 million AI Frontier Taskforce in AI research.
In response to the event’s growing international prominence, a government spokesman noted, “The AI Safety Summit will bring together a wide array of attendees, including international governments, academia, industry, and civil society, as part of a collaborative approach to drive targeted, rapid international action on the safe and responsible development of AI. International representation will vary by country. As is entirely normal for summits of this nature, we do not confirm attendees this far in advance, but we are confident the right people will be there.”