UK Edition
Britain will take world lead on AI threat, Sunak to tell Joe Biden
PM also expected to push for London to be HQ of new global regulator as he makes first visit to White House of his premiership
Britain will take the lead in tackling the threat posed by artificial intelligence, Rishi Sunak will tell Joe Biden.
Mr Sunak is set to meet the US president in the Oval Office on his first visit to the White House as Prime Minister.
He will announce that Britain will host a major summit on the risk posed by AI and is expected to push for London to be the location for a new global AI regulator, modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the Prime Minister said: “This mid-size country happens to be a global leader in AI.
“You would be hard-pressed to find many other countries other than the US in the Western world with more expertise and talent in AI. We are the natural place to lead the conversation.
“Historically, the UK has got it right when we are trying to balance innovation with making sure the new technology is safe for society.
“I intend to talk about that with President Biden and lots of leaders around the world.”
It comes days after one of Mr Sunak’s top advisers warned that AI could kill humans within two years unless action is taken now.
In May, the bosses of the world’s biggest AI laboratories warned in a joint statement that technologies such as ChatGPT could be as dangerous as a nuclear war, saying that “mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority”.
As well as AI, Mr Sunak is expected to discuss with Mr Biden how the US and UK can shore up economic security.
He will also raise the situation in Ukraine in the wake of the suspected Russian attack on the Kakhovka dam.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Mr Sunak was asked about the economy and suggested that he backed Jeremy Hunt’s suggestion that he would be comfortable with a recession if interest rates rose to bring inflation down.
Asked if he agreed, he said: “Yeah, I think the Chancellor was saying is that inflation is the challenge that we must confront.”
Mr Sunak arrived in Washington late on Tuesday before laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery on Wednesday.
He met senior politicians from the Senate and the House of Representatives but said he was too busy to meet Donald Trump, the former US president.
Mr Sunak’s visit is the first by a British prime minister since Boris Johnson in September 2021.
He will announce that the UK will host an AI summit in the autumn, bringing together key countries, technology firms and researchers to agree ways to evaluate and monitor the technology’s most serious risks.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s bilateral meeting, Mr Sunak told reporters: “This is a technology which will impact our lives and economy. It’s important to have the guardrails in place. That’s something I’m doing anyway for the UK but we will have that conversation more widely.”
The UK is a world leader in AI, ranking third behind the US and China.
The British AI sector already contributes £3.7 billion to the economy and employs 50,000 people across the country.
But the rapid rise in technology has fuelled warnings that it will develop too quickly for humans to control.
There were indications on Wednesday that China could be invited to the AI summit.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said the event was for “like-minded countries” who realise both AI’s significant opportunities but also the “need to make sure the right guardrails are in place”.
He was quick to quash suggestions of an alliance against China and Russia, saying: “No, it’s about looking at technology that is developing extremely quickly.”
But asked if Britain was open to China coming, the spokesman said: “We will set out the invites in due course. As I say, it’s for like-minded countries who view the risks and challenges in the same way.”
The focus on AI marks a shift for Mr Sunak, who said that he would prioritise shoring up economic security against threats from autocracies such as Russia and China over securing a free trade deal with the US.
Mr Sunak said that he now wanted to see “specific and targeted” ways to improve trade, thought to be new deals on digital services or agreements that British car manufacturers can benefit from US green subsidies.
“What we’re both focused on is making sure that our economic partnership reflects the particular challenges and opportunities of the time that we’re in right now,” he said.
He will also confirm new university scholarships to further develop UK-US technology leadership.
Mr Sunak will give the president two gifts when they meet – a specially commissioned Barbour jacket with “Mr President” embroidered on the pocket, and a copy of Naval Discipline written by Christopher Biden, a possible English ancestor.