During the world's inaugural summit on AI safety last Wednesday, prominent nations like the UK, US, and China unanimously acknowledged the need for global action. Hosted at Bletchley Park in North London, the UK introduced the "Bletchley Declaration," signed by 28 countries and the EU.
This critical document highlights the immediate necessity for a collaborative global effort to understand and address potential AI risks, advocating for its safe and responsible development for the global community’s benefit.
Chancellor Sunak praised the declaration as a "landmark achievement," while King Charles III emphasised international cooperation to combat the "significant risks" posed by unregulated AI progress.
India for trustworthy, safe AI development
India’s Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics, and Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, advocated for international cooperation to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) embodies principles of integrity, safety, and reliability at the Summit.
In his representation of India at this inaugural event, the minister underscored the achievements of the government led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in advancing the digital economy and fostering innovation. Over the past nine years, India has notably escalated the digital economy's contribution from approximately 4-5 percent of the total GDP to its current standing at 11 percent, with a set goal of reaching 20 percent by 2025-26.
Chandrasekhar said: “We have learned in the last 10-15 years as governments that by allowing innovation to get ahead of regulation we open ourselves to the toxicity, misinformation and weaponisation that we see on the internet today, represented by social media; and we certainly can agree today that that is not what we should charge for the coming years in terms of AI.”
"AI-formulated bioweapons that could jeopardise the lives of millions" -Kamala Harris
US Vice President Kamala Harris emphasised the pressing need for immediate action to safeguard both the public and democracy from the risks associated with artificial intelligence. Addressing safety concerns about this technology, she unveiled a series of initiatives during a speech at the US embassy in London.
Harris highlighted the potential dangers AI could present to individuals and the Western political system, cautioning that the technology holds the capability to instigate "cyberattacks on an unprecedented scale" or produce "AI-formulated bioweapons that could jeopardise the lives of millions."
Some British executives and lawmakers raised concerns about the timing of Vice President Kamala Harris's speech, suggesting that it might have been intended to overshadow Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's concurrent AI Safety Summit, occurring on Wednesday and Thursday. This perception was fuelled by Harris's invitation to several research groups for a closed-door event at the US embassy in London, potentially requiring some attendees to depart the Bletchley Park summit prematurely.
During her speech, Harris advocated for a more comprehensive definition of AI safety, emphasising the need to address the "full spectrum" of threats, including issues related to bias, discrimination, and the propagation of disinformation.
