Britain Appoints Tech Expert and Diplomat to Spearhead Global AI Summit
LONDON, Aug 10 – In a significant step towards shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI), Britain has chosen tech expert Matt Clifford and former senior diplomat Jonathan Black to lead preparations for the global AI summit this September.
Preparations for the Global AI Summit
The duo will rally political leaders, AI companies, and experts ahead of the event this autumn. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in June, pitched Britain as a possible global leader in guardianship of the safety of the fast-developing technology, saying he wanted the country to be both the intellectual and geographical home of AI regulation.
A Genuine Summit with Crucial Debates
“You can think of this as a genuine summit – where there will be really crunchy discussions happening – to try to agree on a shared understanding of the risks, and as a platform for working together on mitigating them,” Matt Clifford, co-founder and CEO of investment firm Entrepreneur First, told Reuters.
The UK’s Approach to AI
Citing the success of London-based DeepMind, Matt Clifford said the UK’s credentials to be a world leader in AI were very clear:
“But this is not about saying the UK has the one right approach that we want all countries to adopt,” he emphasized. “There are going to be many areas of AI policy where each country needs to adopt whatever works best for them.”
Regulatory Responsibility and Global Collaboration
Governments around the world are grappling with how to control the potential negative consequences of AI without stifling innovation. The European Union has taken a lead with its proposed AI Act, which it hopes will become a global benchmark for the booming technology. Britain, however, has opted for a split regulatory responsibility between different bodies overseeing competition, human rights, and health and safety.
The Role of the G7
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) economies, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States, and the European Union, in May called for the adoption of standards to create trustworthy AI and to set up a ministerial forum dubbed the Hiroshima AI process.
Jonathan Black & Matt Clifford Highlight Britain’s Commitment to AI Regulation
The upcoming Global AI Summit represents a vital opportunity for world leaders and experts to come together and chart the path for AI’s future. Britain’s leadership, particularly the appointment of Matt Clifford and Jonathan Black, highlights the country’s commitment to fostering a balanced and globally-considered approach to AI regulation. As the date of the summit approaches, the eyes of the world will be on London, anticipating the next great stride in artificial intelligence.
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