South Korea, UK set to co-host second global AI summit
South Korea and the United Kingdom are preparing to co-host the second global AI summit on May 21 and 22 in Seoul. The virtual event, overseen by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, comes as governments worldwide grapple with the rapid pace of AI innovation since the first summit in November. Despite disagreements over artificial intelligence's potential impact on humanity, both leaders have called for improved regulation.
Leaders highlight gaps in global AI governance
Sunak and Yoon, in a joint opinion article published in the UK's i newspaper and South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, acknowledged the progress made toward global AI governance but emphasized that "significant gaps still remain." The article, titled 'Only global AI standards can stop a race to the bottom,' reflects their shared concern about unregulated artificial intelligence. The leaders' call for improved regulation underscores the urgency of addressing these gaps.
AI Seoul Summit to focus on safety, innovation, and inclusion
The upcoming AI Seoul Summit, previously known as the AI Safety Summit, will concentrate on three key areas: AI safety, innovation, and inclusion. This shift in focus reflects the expanding challenges posed by rapidly evolving technology. A global AI safety report released last Friday underscored these concerns by highlighting potential risks such as large-scale labour market impacts and society losing control over general-purpose AI.
AI risks and opportunities: A global perspective
The global AI safety report, backed by experts from over 30 countries, identified a broad range of risks associated with rapidly evolving technology. These include existential threats to humanity, data scarcity, copyright issues, and environmental impact due to high electricity consumption by AI data centers. The first summit in November saw Tesla's Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman engage with critics while China co-signed the "Bletchley Declaration" on managing AI risks alongside other nations including the US.
UK government advocates for responsible AI development
The UK government plans to use the Seoul summit as a platform to advocate for reduced risks around artificial intelligence and encourage firms to develop AI responsibly. Britain's secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Michelle Donelan, stated that "there will be some agreements that we broker," emphasizing the need for companies to demonstrate safety in their AI models. This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Sunak's ambition of making responsible AI management part of his political legacy.
Diverging approaches to AI regulation among major nations
While the UK has been cautious about rushing to regulate AI, other major nations have taken different approaches. The EU passed a comprehensive law earlier this year that placed guardrails on the technology, and some US cities and states have also enacted laws limiting AI use in specific areas. Despite these differences, Donelan defended Britain's approach, stating that the government has prioritized understanding AI risks and promoting an international focus on the issue.
