Nigeria and 27 other countries
have joined other nations across the world to endorse the Bletchley
Declaration establishing a shared
understanding of the opportunities and risks posed by frontier artificial
intelligence (AI) and the need for governments to work together to meet the
most significant challenges.
Leading AI nations had
yesterday convened for the first time by the United Kingdom (UK) and including
the United States (US) and China, along with the European Union (EU), at
Bletchley Park, UK, for the declaration.
The Bletchley Declaration on
AI safety sees 28 countries from across the globe including in Africa, the
Middle East, and Asia, as well as the EU, agreeing to the urgent need to
understand and collectively manage potential risks through a new joint global
effort to ensure AI is developed and deployed in a safe, responsible way for
the benefit of the global community.
Speaking on the development,
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun
Tijani, said: “Artificial Intelligence offers an unprecedented opportunity to
appropriate knowledge more quickly and seamlessly in addressing some of our
pressing socio-economic challenges. Our duty as policymakers is to ensure that
our nation can participate and mainstream value creation from AI.
“As we embark on this journey
to accelerate our investment in the use of AI for good, it is essential to
collaborate with long-standing allies to deepen our capacity and knowledge.
Other countries that endorsed
the Declaration also include Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Declaration fulfils key
summit objectives in establishing shared agreement and responsibility on the
risks, opportunities and a forward process for international collaboration on
frontier AI safety and research, particularly through greater scientific
collaboration. Talks today, with leading frontier AI companies and experts from
academia and civil society, will see further discussions on understanding
frontier AI risks and improving frontier AI safety.
Countries agreed substantial
risks may arise from potential intentional misuse or unintended issues of
control of frontier AI, with particular concern caused by cybersecurity,
biotechnology and misinformation risks. The Declaration sets out agreement that
there is “potential for serious, even catastrophic, harm either deliberate or
unintentional, stemming from the most significant capabilities of these AI
models.” Countries also noted the risks beyond frontier AI, including bias and
privacy.
Recognising the need to deepen
the understanding of risks and capabilities that are not fully understood,
attendees also agreed to work together to support a network of scientific
research on Frontier AI safety. This builds on the UK Prime Minister’s
announcement last week for the UK to establish the world’s first AI Safety
Institute and complements existing international efforts including at the G7, OECD,
Council of Europe, United Nations and the Global Partnership on AI. This will
ensure the best available scientific research can be used to create an evidence
base for managing the risks whilst unlocking the benefits of the technology,
including through the UK’s AI Safety Institute which will look at the range of
risks posed by AI.
The Declaration details that
the risks are “best addressed through international cooperation”. As part of
agreeing a forward process for international collaboration on frontier AI
safety, The Republic of Korea has agreed to co-host a mini virtual summit on AI
in the next six months. France will then host the next in-person Summit in a
year from now. Further details on these events will be confirmed in due course.
This ensures an enduring
legacy from the Summit and continued international action to tackle AI risks,
including informing national and international risk-based policies across these
countries.
The Declaration, building upon
last week’s announcement of the UK’s emerging processes for AI safety, also
acknowledges that those developing these unusually powerful and potentially
dangerous frontier AI capabilities have a particular responsibility for
ensuring the safety of these systems, including by implementing systems to test
them and other appropriate measures.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
said: “This is a landmark achievement that sees the world’s greatest AI powers
agree on the urgency behind understanding the risks of AI – helping ensure the
long-term future of our children and grandchildren.
“Under the UK’s leadership, more than twenty
five countries at the AI Safety Summit have stated a shared responsibility to
address AI risks and take forward vital international collaboration on frontier
AI safety and research.
“The UK is once again leading the world at the
forefront of this new technological frontier by kick-starting this
conversation, which will see us work together to make AI safe and realise all
its benefits for generations to come.”
Technology Secretary Michelle
Donelan, said: “Today’s agreement, signed by attendees from across the globe,
offers an important first step as we begin two days of vitally important discussions
here at Bletchley Park.
“We have always said that no single country
can face down the challenges and risks posed by AI alone, and today’s landmark
Declaration marks the start of a new global effort to build public trust by
ensuring the technology’s safe development.
“Bletchley Park marks the start of a long road
ahead, and the Summit will kickstart an enduring process to ensure every nation
and every citizen can realise the boundless benefits of AI”.
Foreign Secretary, James
Cleverly, said: "AI knows no borders, and its impact on the world will
only deepen.
"The UK is proud to have
kickstarted the global discussion at Bletchley Park on how we ensure the
transformational power of AI is used as a force for good by and for all of
us."
A spokesperson for the French
Presidency said: “The French authorities welcome the international and
cooperative work cycle launched by the AI Satefy Summit to analyse, understand
and respond to the risks that certain Frontier AI models could cause. France is
ready to participate in this long-term collective effort and will be happy to host
the next in person Summit”.
A spokesperson for the
Republic of Korea Government said: “Minister Lee is delighted that Korea will
be the co-hosts of the mini virtual summit. Korea is a world leader in
technologies like AI and recognises the importance of multilateral cooperation
to ensure AI technologies are designed, used and governed in safe ways.”
To mark the opening of the
Summit, His Majesty The King delivered a virtual address, via video to the AI
Safety Summit yesterday morning as proceedings got underway. His Majesty
pointed to AI being one of the ‘greatest technological leaps in the history of
human endeavour’ and hailed the technology’s enormous potential to transform
the lives of citizens across the world through better treatments for conditions
like cancer and heart disease.
The King also spoke of the
‘clear imperative to ensure that this rapidly evolving technology remains safe
and secure’ and the need for ‘international coordination and collaboration’.
The King’s address signed-off with thanks for the vital role attendees will
play over the next two days, laying the foundations for a ‘lasting consensus’
on AI safety to cement its place as a force for good.
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