PM to host global summit on stopping AI annihilation of mankind

RISHI SUNAK is to host a global summit in London this autumn aimed at devising international rules on artificial intelligence amid warnings it could threaten human extinction.

Mr Sunak will try to convince Joe Biden to lend his support for the conference during the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington this week. Meanwhile, Chloe Smith, the Technology Secretary, will meet with UK allies in Paris on

Tuesday to build a united front on AI regulation before the West opens up talks with China on the subject.

The UK is conducting the diplomatic blitz to accelerate co-operation on AI safety amid growing fears that without regulation it could pose grave risks.

Experts fear that if superintelligent systems are developed with capabilities far exceeding those of humans, humanity could lose control. Other worries include AI being used to launch novel cyber attacks, develop devastating weapons or subvert democracy by propagating mass disinformation. Last week, the chief executives of the world’s three most advanced AI laboratories – OpenAI, Google Deepmind and Anthropic – were among the signatories to a statement which said: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be

‘This should be a global priority alongside other risks such as pandemics and nuclear war’

a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”

At a meeting in Downing Street with the three bosses last month, Mr Sunak discussed the risks of technology, “ranging from disinformation and national security, to existential threats”.

The Prime Minister has spoken about the need to put “guard rails in place” so the development of AI is “safe and secure”. The autumn summit is likely to bring together heads of government, top officials and AI companies from across the size spectrum. Crucially, China will be invited to attend the conference. The Government believes that because China is one of the major global players in AI, efforts to effectively regulate the technology on an international basis will fail unless there is engagement with the country.

However, there is also considerable wariness about how China and other authoritarian states could seek to use the technology. On Tuesday, Ms Smith will chair talks with foreign counterparts at the inaugural Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Global Forum on Technology in Paris – an event the UK Government has helped to fund.

The discussions are designed to make sure the rapid development of technology such as AI is rooted in democratic values and kept safe from hostile actors. China is not attending the forum, so the event will provide an opportunity for democratic states to build a united front on the issue of AI regulation.