UK to Host World’s First Summit on Artificial Intelligence Safety in Bletchley Park, Birthplace of Codebreakers
The United Kingdom is planning to host its inaugural global summit on artificial intelligence safety at Bletchley Park, the historic site where codebreakers deciphered the Enigma code during World War II.
In an official statement released on Thursday, the UK government announced its intention to convene the summit, which will bring together international governments, leading AI companies, and research experts to discuss “the responsible development and safe use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.”
The UK government revealed that the event is scheduled for November 1st and 2nd and will delve into the emerging risks of AI technology, particularly in terms of developmental boundaries, the summit aims to explore how these risks can be mitigated through coordinated global efforts.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated in a press release on Thursday, “To fully seize the exceptional opportunities of artificial intelligence, we must control and address its risks to ensure safe evolution in the coming years.”
He added, “Through the collective strength of our international partners, the thriving AI industry, and the specialized academic community, we can secure the rapid international action needed for the safe and responsible development of artificial intelligence worldwide.”
It’s worth noting that early entrants in the emerging tech race are primarily prominent American tech companies, Microsoft, a notable supporter of the startup OpenAI that created ChatGPT, has introduced “Bard,” its AI chatbot. Google has also developed “Bard,” and Meta introduced the large language model “Llama.”
The United Kingdom hosts several leading companies engaged in AI research, development, and commercial production, including DeepMind and Synthesia, a digital media platform enabling users to create videos using AI technology.
Bletchley Park, the iconic site, was the headquarters of World War II codebreakers who successfully decrypted the secret Enigma code used by the German government to direct land-air operations on the Eastern Front, this achievement, led by mathematician, computer scientist, and cryptanalyst Alan Turing in 1941, played a pivotal role in decoding German military strategy, Turing is widely regarded as the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
