Bletchley Declaration On Artificial Intelligence Gets International Support

Uploaded on 2023-11-03 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Artificial Intelligence, GOVERNMENT-National, FREE TO VIEW

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared the recent Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit hosted by the British government as a diplomatic breakthrough, after it produced an international declaration to address risks with the technology, as well as a multilateral agreement to test advanced AI Models.

Leading global powers including US, UK, European Union (EU), India and China are amongst 28 countries and governments to sign up to the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety, announced on 1 November at the UK's AI Summit.

Britain's former Deputy Prime Minister, now senior executive at Meta's Facebook, Nick Clegg, spoke about the regulatory priorities. ‘My slight note of caution,’ he said, is that we ‘don’t allow the need to focus on proximate challenges to be crowded out by speculative, sometimes futuristic predictions.. Artificial Intelligence presents enormous global opportunities: it has the potential to transform and enhance human wellbeing, peace and prosperity. To realise this, we affirm that, for the good of all, AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used, in a manner that is safe, in such a way as to be human-centric, trustworthy and responsible"

The British government welcomed international cooperation on AI "to promote inclusive economic growth, sustainable development and innovation, to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to foster public trust and confidence in AI systems to fully realise their potential,”

The agreement recognises that areas of AI technology, such generative AI chatbots and image generators, have “potential for serious, even catastrophic, harm, either deliberate or unintentional". It outlines three key areas of risk - Cyber security, Biotechnology, and Disinformation.

The declaration says risks are best addressed through international cooperation, with participating nations agreeing to work together to support a network of scientific research on AI safety. "This is 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," said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. "The UK is once again leading the world at the forefront of this new technological frontier by kickstarting this conversation, which will see us work together to make AI safe and realise all its benefits for generations to come."

In contrast, the Bletchley declaration has had a tepid response from British technology sector. Amanda Brock, CEO of OpenUK, is calling for the open source software and open data business communities to be included. "Their input will help to appropriately shape the transparency called for in the Declaration alongside the internationally inclusive, collaborative cross border research and innovation and international co-operation in an open manner," she said.

The Bletchley Declaration has occurred alongside other international developments, including: -

The announcement of a new US-led international AI safety institute. Indeed, two days before the Bletchley conference, US president Joe Biden signed an Executive Order requiring AI firms to report the risks their technology could pose.

The EU is in the process legislating its own Artificial Intelligence I Act and on the same day as President Biden signed the US Executive Order, the G7 agreed a set of guiding principles for AI and a voluntary code of conduct for AI developers.

The challenge facing signatories to the Bletchley Declaration will be to ensure that future international efforts are focused on practical measures and follow up summit meeting in France and Suth Korea are scheduled in 2024.

The first of these in South Korea is expected to find a consensus on international standards and monitoring, including establishing a shared understanding of which standards must be international, and which can be left to individual nations to decide.

Gov.UK: Spectator: ITPro: Guardian: Bracknell News: Science Media Centre: Pinsent Masons:

Fortune:

You Might Also Read:

The Criminal Use Of AI Is Increasing:

DIRECTORY OF SUPPLIERS - AI Security & Governance:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 6,500-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.