U.K. announces AI safety agreement as Elon Musk warns of 'extinction'
Elon Musk, who was present at the summit, has previously hinted at the existential threat AI might pose to humanity. However, some participants have advocated for concentrating on current tangible AI challenges, such as potential job displacement and AI bias, rather than speculative future threats.
The U.K. government is heralding a groundbreaking global agreement addressing the challenges posed by the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Dubbed "frontier AI," these are yet-to-be-fully-understood AI evolutions considered highly sophisticated. Countries such as the U.S., China, and a few from Europe are signatories to the pact, unveiled at the U.K.-hosted AI Safety Summit.
Elon Musk, who was present at the summit, has previously hinted at the existential threat AI might pose to humanity. However, some participants have advocated for concentrating on current tangible AI challenges such as potential job displacement and AI bias, rather than speculative future threats.
"We must similarly address the risks presented by AI with a sense of urgency, unity and collective strength" he said.
King Charles weighed in with a video message, likening the significance of AI's development to electricity's discovery. He emphasized the collective and urgent approach needed for AI's challenges. Named The Bletchley Declaration, the agreement has garnered support from 28 countries recognizing the pressing need for a collaborative approach to AI's potential risks.
"We must... address the risks presented by AI with a sense of urgency"
— Bloomberg UK (@BloombergUK) November 1, 2023
King Charles says "transitions" like artificial intelligence pose "profound challenges," in a video message to the UK's global AI summit https://t.co/TNJJu9Mlv6 pic.twitter.com/DABWw9Angf
Rishi Sunak, the U.K. Prime Minister, praised the collaborative spirit of leading AI nations acknowledging the pressing nature of the issue. In a bid for collaboration, China's Vice Minister Wu Zhaohui called for shared knowledge and public access to AI technologies at the summit.
Post-summit, U.S. plans to initiate its AI Safety Institute were unveiled by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Michelle Donelan, U.K. Technology Secretary, revealed that the upcoming summit will be virtual, hosted by the Republic of Korea, with France hosting the subsequent in-person meeting in a year.
Meanwhile, during Joe Rogan's most recent podcast on Tuesday, Musk voiced concerns about AI potentially being wielded by those believing in human extinction for the planet's well-being.
"If you start thinking that humans are bad, then the natural conclusion is humans should die out," he said. "If AI gets programmed by the extensionists, its utility function will be the extinction of humanity… they won't even think it's bad.".
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