Britain is using the UN speech to show that it wants to take a leadership role in dealing with AI worldwide
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Britain presented itself to the world Friday as a ready leader in shaping an international response to the rise of artificial intelligencewith Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden the UN General Assembly his country is “determined to be at the forefront.”
He praised the U.K.’s tech companies, its universities and even Industrial Revolution-era innovations, saying the country had “the foundations to make AI successful and to make it safe.” He further suggested that a UK AI task force working on methods to assess the vulnerability of AI systems could develop expertise to offer internationally.
His remarks at the annual meeting of world leaders were a preview of an AI security summit by the British prime minister Rishi Sunak takes place in November. Dowden’s speech was also delivered by other countries and multinational corporations – including the European Union, the bloc Britain left the country in 2020 – are taking steps in the field of artificial intelligence.
The EU this year issued groundbreaking regulations establish requirements and controls based on the level of risk posed by a particular AI system, from low (e.g. spam filters) to unacceptable (e.g. an interactive children’s toy that promotes dangerous activities).
Meanwhile, the UN is pulling together an advisory board that makes recommendations on structuring international rules for artificial intelligence. The members will be appointed this month, Secretary General António Guterres told the General Assembly on Tuesday; The group’s first statement on a report is expected to be available by the end of the year.
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“The starting shot has been fired for a global competition in which both individual companies and countries will strive to push the boundaries as far and quickly as possible,” said Dowden. He argued that “the main actions we will take will be International.”
Dowden listed the hoped-for benefits – such as improving disease detection and productivity – as well as the potential for artificial intelligence to wreak havoc with deepfakes, cyberattacks and more, and urged leaders not to “get into debates about it to entangle whether AI is a tool for good or a tool for evil.” .”
“It will be a tool for both,” he said.
It is exciting. Daunting. Relentless,” Dowden said, and the technology will test the international community “to show that it can work together on an issue that will help define the fate of humanity.”
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