UK and South Korea are all set to co-host the AI Safety Summit Seoul 2024 on May 21 and 22. Building upon the foundation laid during the Bletchley Park summit last year in November hosted by the UK, this event marks a crucial step in international efforts to address the challenges posed by rapid AI advancements.
The AI Seoul Summit will begin with a virtual leaders’ session co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The summit will continue with in-person discussions led by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Korean Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-Ho, focusing on concrete actions and collaborative strategies for AI governance.
The agenda of this summit is ambitious and reflects the urgency of integrating safety, innovation, and inclusivity into the AI development lifecycle. Topics include evaluating AI model safety, fostering sustainable development, and enhancing global cooperation on AI norms and governance. These discussions are expected to include a diverse group of stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and academic experts.
A key highlight of the summit is the release of the International Scientific Report on Advanced AI Safety, led by Turing Prize winner Yoshua Bengio. This comprehensive report compiles the latest research on AI safety and aims to set a benchmark for global standards in the safe deployment of AI technologies.
The Seoul Summit is a proactive platform aiming to strengthen the commitments made under the Bletchley Declaration. This declaration, signed during the last summit, commits participating nations to develop AI in a manner that is safe, trustworthy, and responsible. UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan emphasized the importance of these gatherings in ensuring AI’s potential is harnessed safely.
“The summit we held at Bletchley Park in November was a generational moment,” Ms Donelan said.
She said, “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.
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. “
Minister Lee Jong-Ho highlighted the pace at which AI is advancing and the necessity for robust governance frameworks. ” 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”.
He further added, “We hope that the AI Seoul Summit will serve as an opportunity to strengthen global cooperation on not only AI safety but also AI innovation and inclusion, and promote sustainable AI development.”
The summit’s discussions are expected to influence not only future AI technologies but also the broader implications for global economic and social systems. The invitation to global industry leaders further ensures that the summit’s outcomes will reflect a comprehensive approach, incorporating insights from the forefront of AI development and deployment.
The AI Safety Summit Seoul 2024 serves as a pivotal moment for global leaders to shape a future where AI is developed responsibly and benefits humanity as a whole.