Legislators are concerned that AI poses an existential threat, and this will be a major theme of discussion during the Nov. 1-2 conference.
In November 2023, the United Kingdom will play home to the first-ever worldwide summit on artificial intelligence (AI) safety. The purpose of this event is to solidify the United Kingdom’s role as a go-between for the US, China, and EU in the vital area of technology in the wake of Brexit.
Many politicians are concerned about the existential threat that AI could pose, and this will be emphasised heavily at the Nov. 1-2 conference. In addition to expressing concerns about AI being used by terrorists and criminals to produce weapons of mass destruction, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sees the U.K. as a hub for AI safety.
At Bletchley Park, Sunak will be the host for about a hundred people. United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, will be among the esteemed guests. A group of politicians, professors, and visionaries in AI will also be there.
The goal of the conference is to start a worldwide dialogue about artificial intelligence governance. The U.K. government has revealed the agenda for the summit this week, which includes discussions about the unpredictable advancement of technology and the possibility that humans will lose control over it.
Earlier, a group of powerful UK lawmakers had recommended the government to work with democratic allies to address the possible misuse of AI, highlighting London’s goal of becoming a major player in furthering the developing technology.
A few weeks after Sunak announced the conference, OpenAI declared it would create its first office outside of the United States in London, and Google released a study estimating that additional investment in AI could increase Britain’s GDP by 400 billion pounds ($488 billion) by 2030.
Amidst a global shortage and battle for computing capacity, it was revealed in August 2023 that Rishi Sunak is planning to invest 100 million pounds ($130 million) to purchase thousands of computer chips to power AI.