On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will join other top politicians at a conference in the United Kingdom that will address the challenges posed by the rapid development of advanced artificial intelligence.

Sunak hosted the inaugural AI Safety Summit, bringing together government officials, specialists, and technology professionals to gain a deeper understanding of “frontier” AI, which some researchers caution could potentially jeopardize the future of humanity.

The heads of the UN and EU participated in discussions on the second day of the conference, which took place at a former spy base known for codebreaking near London. The event began on Wednesday with a pact signed by 28 countries, including the United States and China, to collaborate on addressing the potential dangers of AI. There are also plans for additional meetings in South Korea and France within the next 12 months.

The summit’s objectives do not include a binding regulation for AI. Sunak has expressed that the U.K.’s strategy should not involve hasty regulation, but rather a thorough comprehension of AI beforehand.

During a speech at the U.S. embassy on Wednesday, Harris stressed the more proactive stance of the U.S. administration, stating that immediate action is necessary to combat all potential risks associated with AI, not just those that pose existential threats, such as large-scale cyberattacks or AI-developed bioweapons.

She declared the creation of a new American institute for AI safety in order to establish guidelines for evaluating AI models for public consumption. Sunak had previously suggested his own institute for AI safety, which served a similar purpose, just a few days prior.

Sunak has suggested creating an international panel of experts on AI, modeled after the United Nations panel on climate change. The leader of Britain met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the summit on Thursday and is anticipated to share further information about the idea.

Additionally, he has a planned discussion on artificial intelligence with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, which will be broadcast on the social media platform X, owned by Musk, following the conclusion of the summit.

Musk, along with other technology leaders, has cautioned about the potential dangers of AI for the future of humanity.

During the summit, Musk stated that for the first time in human history, we are faced with something that will surpass our own intelligence. He expressed uncertainty about our ability to control it.

Sunak emphasized the need to remain level-headed when discussing the potential of this technology, as it has the potential to greatly improve our lives.

According to him, there is reason to believe that it could potentially be as dangerous as pandemics and nuclear war. As leaders, we have a duty to take action and implement measures to safeguard people, which is exactly what we are doing.

Source: wral.com