Global AI Safety Summit kicks off in Britain

BLETCHLEY PARK, Britain, Nov 2: A global summit on artificial intelligence (AI) safety opened in Britain on Wednesday as political leaders, AI companies representatives and experts gather to discuss the global future of AI and work toward a shared understanding of its risks.

The two-day event, held at Bletchley Park, a countryside estate 50 miles north of London, aims to evaluate the risks of AI and discuss how they can be mitigated through internationally coordinated action, according to a statement from the British government.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Tesla boss Elon Musk are expected to attend the summit. China's Vice Minister of Science and Technology Wu Zhaohui is participating in the event with a Chinese delegation.

Sunak, whose government is hosting the summit, said in a speech last week that the "ultimate goal" was "to work towards a more international approach to safety where we collaborate with partners to ensure AI systems are safe before they are released."

According to the summit agenda, there will be a series of roundtable discussions on risks posed by future AI development as well as what the national policymakers and international community can do to grasp the opportunities it presents.

China launched the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing on Oct. 18.

The initiative presents a constructive approach to addressing universal concerns over AI development and governance and draws up blueprints for relevant international discussions and rule-making.