At the AI Safety Summit, nations from across the globe declared their commitment to ensuring the safe and responsible development, deployment, and use of AI.
The Bletchley Declaration, as it’s officially titled, was signed by 28 attendee countries and the EU.
The Declaration emphasizes the necessity for AI systems to be “human-centric, trustworthy, and responsible,” acknowledging AI’s critical role in enhancing “human wellbeing, peace, and prosperity.”
The participating countries declared they wish to harness AI for “inclusive economic growth, sustainable development, innovation, the protection of human rights, and the fostering of public trust and confidence.”
As AI technologies permeate various domains of daily life, including health, education, transportation, and justice, the Declaration underscores the sentiment to control AI and channel it toward collective benefit.
Of course, it is largely symbological and doesn’t set out any particular path towards mutually agreed regulations.
However, the declaration explicitly highlights the safety risks posed by advanced AI models, often dubbed ‘foundation models,’ and calls for proactive measures to mitigate potential harm.
The statement encourages countries to adopt “a pro-innovation and proportionate governance and regulatory approach,” considering the benefits and risks associated with AI.
The Declaration also calls for a shared responsibility among all actors, including nations, companies, civil society, and academia, in ensuring AI safety. It stresses the need for international collaboration and adopting policies to bridge the digital divide between more and less technologically advanced countries.
In addressing AI risks, the Declaration sets a clear agenda focusing on identifying concerns, building a scientific and evidence-based understanding of risks, and developing respective risk-based policies across countries.
It further pledges support for an internationally inclusive network of scientific research on frontier AI safety, aiming to provide the best available science for policymaking.
The participating countries expressed their commitment to sustaining global dialogue on AI, engaging in international forums, and continuing research on frontier AI safety.
The countries that signed the statement are:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- European Union
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kenya
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Netherlands
- Nigeria
- The Philippines
- Republic of Korea
- Rwanda
- Singapore
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- United States of America
Day one of the Summit saw speeches from leaders including Kamala Harris and Rishi Sunak, among others.
Read more about the key points from day one here.
