At a British summit focused on AI safety, China, the United States, and the European Union, along with more than 25 other countries, have agreed to collaborate in managing the risks associated with artificial intelligence.
The summit aimed to find a secure path forward for rapidly evolving AI technology, which some tech leaders and political figures believe poses existential threats if left unchecked.
Key points of the agreement and the summit include:
Collaboration on AI Safety: China, the US, the EU, and other participating nations pledged to work together to address the risks associated with AI. This marks the first time a Chinese vice minister joined Western leaders and tech industry figures at a summit addressing AI safety.
Bletchley Declaration: More than 25 countries signed a "Bletchley Declaration" at the summit, emphasizing the need for international cooperation and a common approach to AI oversight. The declaration outlined a two-pronged agenda, focusing on identifying shared risks and building scientific understanding of these risks, as well as developing cross-country policies to mitigate them.
Equal Rights for AI Development: China's Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Wu Zhaohui, expressed China's readiness to enhance collaboration in AI safety and emphasized that all countries, regardless of their size or scale, have equal rights to develop and use AI.
Existential Risks: The summit discussed potential existential risks associated with advanced AI models known as "frontier AI." These models, while not seen as posing significant catastrophic harms at present, are a subject of concern as the industry continues to train increasingly large and capable models.
Intermediary Role for the UK: The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, organized the summit as part of the UK's efforts to establish itself as an intermediary between the US, China, and the EU in a post-Brexit landscape.
Future Summits: The British digital minister, Michelle Donelan, announced plans for additional AI Safety Summits to be held in South Korea and France in the coming months.
Controversies: The involvement of China in the summit raised questions and concerns, given the geopolitical tensions and trust issues surrounding technology. The US made it clear that the summit's initiative was driven by the UK. US Vice President Kamala Harris's presence and meetings at the summit raised eyebrows, with some suggesting that Washington might be trying to overshadow the event.
US AI Safety Institute: The US government used the summit to announce the launch of a US AI Safety Institute, following President Joe Biden's executive order on AI.
The summit represents a significant step in international collaboration on AI safety, recognizing the importance of addressing the potential risks posed by advanced AI technologies. Source: AI Safety Summit: China, US and EU agree to work together | Reuters
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