James Cleverly, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, is set to address the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and advocate for a coordinated international response to regulating artificial intelligence (AI). The briefing will discuss the potential implications of AI for international peace and security, emphasizing the need for safe and responsible use. However, the UK’s approach to AI regulation differs from other regions, particularly the European Union (EU), which has proposed stricter rules to safeguard users.
Cleverly’s call for coordinated action
Chairing the session as part of the UK’s UNSC presidency Cleverly will stress the importance of involving a wide coalition of international actors across sectors. He will highlight the significant opportunities presented by AI and urge the global community to address the challenges it poses to international peace and security. Cleverly emphasizes the need for a unified approach based on essential principles to ensure the responsible deployment of AI technologies.
In addition to Cleverly’s address, the session will feature remarks from António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, Jack Clark, co-founder of AI company Anthropic, and Professor Zeng Yi, director of the Cognitive Intelligence Lab and co-director of the China-UK Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance. The discussions will focus on the impact of AI and explore ways to promote its safe and ethical utilization.
Is the UK’s approach to AI regulation in line with other countries?
The UK government’s initial approach to AI regulation, as detailed in a white paper released earlier this year, aimed to foster a light-touch, pro-innovation environment without establishing an overarching regulator for the technology. However, industry experts view this approach as risky, especially compared to the EU’s comprehensive AI act, which sets specific rules for general-purpose AI. Despite this disparity, recent indications suggest that the UK government, led by Rishi Sunak, is evolving its stance by emphasizing AI safety.
Upcoming global AI summit and criticisms
The UK plans to convene a global AI summit later this year to gather experts worldwide to discuss the responsible use of AI tools such as ChatGPT. While the government’s evolving approach has been seen as a positive development, critics like the Labour Party argue that the regulatory regime outlined in the white paper fails to keep up with the rapid pace of AI development and disadvantages workers. It is worth noting that other countries, including the US and Japan, are also pursuing relatively relaxed environments for AI. Japan’s recent proposals focus on allowing companies to develop new systems, particularly in healthcare.
Global conformity to EU standards
Experts, such as Paul Barrett from NYU Stern School of Business, predicted that developers would align with the EU’s AI approach, considering it may become the global standard, similar to the impact of GDPR on privacy regulations. Major AI producers are likely to conform to EU standards to access the lucrative European market and avoid the inefficiency of offering different product versions in various regions.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s call for a global approach to AI regulation at the UN Security Council highlights the importance of international cooperation in addressing the challenges posed by AI while harnessing its potential benefits. While the UK’s initial approach differed from the EU’s more stringent regulations, recent developments indicate a shift toward emphasizing AI safety. The upcoming global AI summit and the expectation of conformity to EU standards by major AI producers suggest a potential convergence in the global AI regulatory landscape. As AI advances, collaboration and a harmonized approach to regulation will be crucial in ensuring its responsible and ethical use worldwide.
Note that James Cleverly will soon replace Ben Wallace as Defense Secretary. Speaking at the UN, he said that the world cannot allow the war to drag on in Ukraine and called on Russian President Putin to withdraw troops immediately from Ukraine and unblock the Black Sea for shipping.
We cannot allow this war to go on for another 500 days.
James Cleverly, UK Foreign Secretary
Source: Ukrinform, citing Cleverly during a speech at a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York
