The AI Seoul Summit will combine virtual meetings with in-person discussions in the South Korean capital, and serves as the follow-up to the AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park
The UK and South Korea are set to spearhead the next round of global talks on artificial intelligence safety at a two-day summit in May.
The AI Seoul Summit will blend virtual meetings with face-to-face discussions in the South Korean capital, serving as a sequel to the AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park last November.
Confirmed for May 21 and 22, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will co-chair a virtual leaders’ meeting with Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol on the first day, while Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Korean minister of science and ICT Lee Jong-Ho will co-host in-person meetings on the second day.
A select group of global industry leaders will also be invited to the summit, where they’ll be asked to report on their progress in fulfilling commitments made during last year’s AI Safety Summit regarding the safety of their AI models. These commitments included permitting AI safety institutes worldwide to test and scrutinise new AI models before their public release.
Attendees at the previous summit also signed the Bletchley Declaration, pledging to develop AI in a safe, trustworthy and responsible way. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who attended that summit, described the gathering as “timely”, stating his belief that AI is “one of the biggest threats” to humanity.
Ms Donelan, commenting on the previous summit held at Bletchley Park, said: “The summit we held at Bletchley Park in November was a generational moment. We agreed the historic Bletchley Declaration and have ensured discussions around AI safety are firmly on the international agenda.”
“If we continue to bring international governments and a broad range of voices together, I have every confidence that we can continue to develop a global approach which will allow us to realise the transformative potential of this generation-defining technology safely and responsibly.”
Discussing future prospects, she conveyed her eagerness about the upcoming talks. She added: “I am looking forward to building on the ‘Bletchley effect’ with this next round of talks in the Republic of Korea, who are perfectly placed with their rich history of technological innovation to advance the global conversation on AI safety.”
The AI industry flagging crucial timings for the forthcoming summit expects new and more potent AI models to be unveiled in 2024. Underpinning these discussions, will be the first version of the International Scientific Report on Advanced AI Safety report set to be published offering rich insights into global AI safety measures.
Reflecting on last year’s summit in Bletchley, Mr Lee said: “The AI Safety Summit held in Bletchley, UK, last year marked a milestone in which the government, industry and academia coming together to address the potential risks of AI, and I am pleased that the Republic of Korea takes the baton from the UK.”
“AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace that exceeds our expectations, and it is crucial to establish global norms and governance to harness such technological innovations to enhance the welfare of humanity. We hope that the AI Seoul Summit will serve as an opportunity to strengthen global co-operation on not only AI safety but also AI innovation and inclusion, and promote sustainable AI development.”
