Examining the Challenges of Assembling World Leaders for a Summit on Artificial Intelligence
The rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies has led to both excitement about their potential benefits and concern about their risks. As AI systems become more powerful and widespread, many argue that closer international coordination is needed to ensure these technologies are steered toward positive ends.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced plans to convene a summit of world leaders focused on AI, aiming to spearhead efforts to align approaches across different nations. With the event slated for November 1-2, 2023 at Bletchley Park in the UK, Sunak faces challenges in securing attendance from major heads of state.
Thin Attendance from G7 and EU Leaders
So far, Sunak’s guest list features thin representation from some of the world’s most influential countries and groups. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are both skipping the summit, according to inside sources. French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have yet to confirm their attendance.
The only G7 leader slated to join Sunak is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Other key absences include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose attendance is now doubtful amidst the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
AI as Potentially “Catastrophic” Technology
Part of Sunak’s motivation in convening the summit is to bring together countries to counter AI’s potentially “catastrophic” impacts. A draft summit document describes AI as capable of causing “catastrophic harm” in areas like cybersecurity and biotechnology.
There appears to be growing consensus around characterizing AI as a transformative technology requiring safeguards. But bridging different nations’ philosophies on whether AI is best regulated by states or industry will be a difficult balancing act.
Tech Executives and Scientists Attending
While the head-of-state guest list remains fluid, Sunak has had more success confirming attendance from leading AI researchers and tech executives.
Sam Altman of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis of DeepMind, Mustafa Suleyman of Inflection AI, and Aidan Gomez of Cohere are among the AI experts slated to attend. Top executives from companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet will also participate.
Their presence will help inject important technical perspectives into policy discussions on topics like AI safety and responsible development.
Deepfakes, Cybersecurity on the Agenda
Deepfakes and cybersecurity are two issues rumored to be agenda items at the summit. British cabinet ministers have expressed concerns over AI-generated deepfakes potentially disrupting 2023 national elections.
There are also aims to align countries on AI’s implications for cybersecurity amidst its rapid integration into digital systems and networks globally.
Targeting Global Coordination
Rishi Sunak’s central goal is coordinating national policies on AI governance to avoid a fragmented regulatory landscape. But consensus has proven difficult, with China favoring state control while the US has emphasized light-touch regulation.
Still, the UK has made strides in bringing major countries to the table and identifying shared concerns around AI like deepfakes. The summit represents early efforts towards global coordination that could build over time with more gatherings.
Assessing the Guest List
The summit’s success will hinge in part on attendance. While sparse representation from top EU and G7 leaders may dent the event’s stature, participation from key AI experts provides optimism.
Their presence alongside government representatives creates an opportunity for balancing technical and policy perspectives. However, bridging fundamentally different national interests on AI governance poses a tall order.
The Road Ahead
Rishi Sunak aims to hold additional AI summits every six months, enabling more regular coordination between governments as the technology advances rapidly. Proposals for an expert advisory panel issuing annual AI progress reports could also foster ongoing collaboration.
The summit marks a starting point that, while imperfect, seeds further dialogue on aligning national policies. As AI grows more sophisticated and embedded into society, greater cooperation across governments will only become more imperative.
