Today, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology for India, made history by signing a groundbreaking agreement at Bletchley Park, a historic British landmark. The agreement signifies a shared acknowledgment of both the opportunities and risks posed by cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI), emphasizing the necessity for global collaboration to address these challenges effectively.
According to a report from the British High Commission, India, along with 27 other countries spanning Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the EU, has committed to understanding and collectively managing the potential risks associated with AI through a new joint global effort. Notable endorsers of the declaration include Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates.
This declaration follows two days of discussions among world leaders and prominent figures in the AI industry at an AI safety summit in the UK. The participating countries recognized significant risks arising from both intentional misuse and unintended consequences of advanced AI technologies, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, biotechnology, and disinformation.
Further discussions involving leading AI companies, academia experts, and civil society representatives, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman of OpenAI, aim to deepen understanding of AI risks and enhance the safety of its commercial applications.
The UK recently announced the establishment of the world’s first AI Safety Institute, complementing existing international efforts by organizations such as the G7, OECD, Council of Europe, United Nations, and the Global Partnership on AI.
Minister Chandrasekhar emphasized the importance of international collaboration in driving the future of technology, stating that it should involve more than just a few countries. UK Prime Minister Sunak hailed the agreement as a “landmark achievement,” stressing the urgency of understanding AI risks to ensure the long-term well-being of future generations.
The Republic of Korea has agreed to co-host a mini-virtual summit on AI within the next six months, with France set to host the next in-person summit a year from now. Both countries emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation in ensuring the safe design, use, and governance of AI technologies.
His Majesty King Charles III of the UK, who joined virtually, described AI as one of the greatest technological leaps in human history.