Historic AI summit in the UK
November 2, 2023

Even though the most decisive factor in the current world is AI, it is the one thing that most of us are extremely undecided about to take a stance on. A majority of the global population is either pro-AI or anti-AI. The remaining numbers are just confused due to the lack of transparency about it. The million-dollar question that hovers above our heads like a heavy cloud at any given moment is, will there be an AI apocalypse or will it be our saving grace? And that is no ordinary question.

Even among AI creators, there is a growing debate regarding the pace of AI’s development. Some advocate to halt the activities whereas some say that a temporary halt would impede technology’s potential to achieve what it is capable of (though none of us know that that is). In light of such ongoing controversies, during the first week of November 2023 (Nov.1 and Nov.2), approximately 100 world leaders, technology industry leaders, academics, and AI researchers will convene at the historic Bletchley Park campus in the UK, famous as the former residence of the codebreakers who played a crucial role in securing victory during World War II. The primary objective of the Summit? Engage in discussions on how to use AI for the good while mitigating associated risks.  

Sunak summons world leaders for a safety summit

It was UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s idea to host the summit. While this may appear to be a very out-of-the-blue and spontaneous decision, it was one that had been brewing in the mind of the prime minister for quite a while. He seems to want to do some damage control in the face of the crushing election defeat that his government had to face by leaving a good impression at least in the realm of technology. He is intent on leaving a lasting legacy centred around advancing AI. In a recent speech, Sunak listed the dangers that ensue in AI, particularly if it is exploited by terrorists and cybercriminals. He also released a set of documents on “frontier AI”,  a term used in the industry to refer to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E. The topics that were explored via those publications were, ‘Capabilities and risks from frontier AI’, ‘Future risks of frontier AI’ and ‘Safety and security risks of generative AI to 2025’. He went the distance by introducing the establishment of a UK AI safety institute.  The message that he attempted to convey resonated with the idea that the British are confident that the UK is at the forefront of developing the most advanced safeguards for AI, outdoing any other nation. Sunak’s claim cannot be brushed away because the UK does have strong credentials as a global leader in AI where this sector employs over 50,000 individuals that directly contribute £3.7 million to the economy. It is also where Google DeepMind originated. Therefore AI shares history with the UK.

The summit looks forward to building upon ongoing initiatives in international forums, including the OECD, the Global Partnership on AI, the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and standards-development organisations. It will also further advance the recently established G7 Hiroshima AI process. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly emphasised the grip that AI has on the world as a whole which is why it calls for an international approach rather than an isolated one. 

A few prominent attendees that will attend the summit include key figures that span not just political bodies but also the tech world. Namely, Brad Smith, President of Microsoft; Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind; Yann LeCun, AI chief at Meta; Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta; Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States; a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. 

There is a major BUT

The focal point of discussion is how to use AI for the betterment of the world and to keep risks at bay. This is a general conversation that many have, irrespective of whether they meet at Bletchley Park or not. However, an initiative like that of Sunak’s will get governments and people with power involved, hopefully leading it to something more than mere classroom conversations that end with no resolution. 

However, critics believe that the main focus of the two-day summit should not be so narrow. The summit’s agenda places a heavy emphasis on the existential risks associated with the emergence of superintelligent AI, which has been spoken of extensively by a large number of academics and advocates. They have had this conversion long before Sunak realised AI’s adversities. It should expand the scope that is covered and include concerns such as AI’s extreme consumption of energy that is drilling an extra hole in climate change, the current impact on employment and the biases that AI creates.  A recent report that was released by the UK government laid out AI’s alarming threats, consisting of bio-terrorism, cyber-attacks, advanced AI taking autonomous control, and the increased dissemination of deepfake content, particularly involving child sexual abuse. Even though Sunak is asking the world to ‘not lose sleep’ over these concerns that is an impossible request to abide by.

Not only are the topics of discussion narrow but so is the guest list. Especially because there is a limited representation of civil society at the summit, which has irked over 100 signatories of an open letter published on 30 October 2023. A restrained guest list as such can compromise the effectiveness of the meeting. 

While most critical views held about the summit could be considered to be premature allegations, when analysing elements such as the terminology used to promote the event, especially the milking of the words ‘frontier AI’, one can’t help but wonder whether Rishi Sunak has an agenda other than the one publicly campaigned for. The use of industry-specific language suggests that Sunak may adopt a passive stance toward regulating big tech’s latest innovations. This aligns with the prime minister’s goal of encouraging tech companies to develop AI within the UK, with an eye toward economic benefits. Additionally, what has piqued more interest than the entire Summit itself is the live interview that the prime minister will be doing on X, with the owner of the platform himself. While the outcome of the conversation is beyond prediction, it will be interesting to see how it will unfold. Especially because, although Elon Musk has not publicly commented on the UK’s new Online Safety Act, which has recently received Royal Assent, X falls within the ambit of the Act and is not exempted from the regulations. 

(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)

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