In a move to further global cooperation on artificial intelligence safety, the United Kingdom announced plans to host a conference in San Francisco on November 21-22, 2024. The event aims to bring together AI developers to discuss the implementation of commitments made at the AI Seoul Summit earlier this year.
The conference, co-hosted with the Centre for the Governance of AI and led by the UK’s AI Safety Institute (AISI), will focus on how companies can put into practice the agreements reached in Seoul. Sixteen companies from various countries, including the United States, European Union, Republic of Korea, China, and the United Arab Emirates, had previously agreed to publish their latest AI safety frameworks.
Peter Kyle, the UK’s Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, emphasized the conference’s role in advancing the shared global mission of designing practical and effective approaches to AI safety. “We’re just months away from the AI Action Summit, and the discussions in San Francisco will give companies a clear focus on where and how they can bolster their AI safety plans,” Kyle stated.
The event is strategically timed ahead of France’s AI Action Summit scheduled for February 2025. It will feature workshops and discussions centered on AI safety, with participating companies expected to detail their plans for addressing severe potential AI risks, including misuse by bad actors.
The UK’s initiative comes on the heels of the U.S. government’s announcement of the first meeting of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, set for November 20-21, 2024, also in San Francisco. This reflects a growing trend of nations establishing AI safety testing bodies, following the UK’s launch of the world’s first AI Safety Institute at Bletchley Park in November 2023.
As preparations continue, attendees are being encouraged to share thoughts on potential areas of discussion, including existing and current proposals for developer safety plans, the future of AI model safety evaluations, and methods for setting out different risk thresholds.
The conference underscores the UK’s ambition to maintain its global leadership role in AI safety governance, building on its landmark agreement with the U.S. earlier this year and its establishment of the world’s first state-backed body dedicated to AI safety.
Call for papers HERE
