UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that a world-class education system is the key to allaying concerns about AI’s impact on jobs. Speaking after the UK’s first AI safety summit, Sunak said that the technology would improve the economy over the long term, and that new AI tools should be seen as co-pilots which could help rather than replace human workers. The government’s role is to improve training, he added. Sunak said he recognised the anxiety that people feel about the impact of AI on jobs, but emphasised that it would enhance productivity over time and was beneficial for the economy.
The prime minister’s remarks came at a press conference following a two-day summit on artificial intelligence safety. The summit was held at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire and was attended by representatives from 28 countries, including the US and China, as well as tech bosses and academics. Trade unions, which were not represented at the event, have called for stronger measures to ensure jobs are protected as AI technology evolves.
Sunak also revealed more details about plans for a UK body to test new AI models developed by companies before they are deployed. The AI Safety Institute, to be launched next year, will be given privileged access to these models in order to assess possible risks such as the potential for bias and misinformation. The government said it would work with the Alan Turing Institute to develop this test regime. Sunak said that the new arrangement would provide some “independent assurance”, and added that the firms developing the models cannot be expected to “make their own homework”. Sunak also confirmed that the US and UK AI Safety Institutes would work together.
The summit saw countries sign a declaration pledging more co-operation on research into AI safety, to ensure the technology develops in a way that is “human-centric, trustworthy and responsible”. Sunak said he hoped the event would be the first in a series, with Korea and France also expressing interest in hosting further summits next year. Critics had questioned the decision to invite China, a key player in AI technology, given current tensions with the West. Sunak defended the move, however, noting that any serious conversation about AI safety must engage China, among other major AI nations
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