Britain will host a two-day international summit in November to explore how artificial intelligence can be safely developed. The “world first” gathering will be held on November 1-2 at Bletchley Park, where top British codebreakers cracked Nazi Germany’s “Enigma” code, hastening the end of World War II. It’s also home to the National Museum of Computing, which boasts the world’s most extensive collection of working historic computers.
This summit will bring together leading nations and experts to discuss the role of AI in the global economy and society. It will create a common approach to tackling misinformation, job losses, and bias. It will also consider how AI can help to tackle the significant challenges we face in the world, from climate change to healthcare.
The UK hopes to become a leader on this issue, with PM Rishi Sunak reportedly seeking to make the country the “geographical home” of a new global regulator and CERN-style research center. It also has a growing number of top AI firms, such as Google Deepmind and OpenAI, with offices in the country.
But despite its ambitions, the UK will have to overcome some resistance from Western allies who worry that the summit could be dominated by China, which is already pushing for the introduction of stricter rules on AI. Moreover, the UK must find a way to align its summit with the EU’s work on its own AI Act.
It’s a big ask, but it is a risk worth taking for a nation still seeking its place in the world three-and-a-half years after Brexit. Other countries, such as Italy and France, have jumped on the AI bandwagon, convening their meetings in recent months.
To show leadership on this issue, the government is also expected to announce details of a new domestic AI task force next week. The Telegraph understands that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is close to appointing the chair of this panel, with a decision expected within weeks. The task force will accelerate the development of the UK’s sovereign AI capabilities. It will build on the work of an existing group of experts tasked with developing an “overarching roadmap” for AI. The House of Commons Committees on Business and Trade and Science Technology chairs led this group.
