UK MPs call for global alliance to tackle AI misuse

A group of influential members of parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom have advised the government to collaborate with democratic allies to address the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing London’s aim to be a key player in advancing the emerging technology.

On Aug. 31, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee (SITC), an advisory body to the government, recommended in a report that Britain aligns with similar nations sharing democratic values. This collaboration aims to collectively safeguard against actors, whether state-affiliated or not, who seek to misuse AI for their objectives.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak intends to convene a summit in early November, bringing together global leaders and tech leaders at Bletchley Park, a historic World War Two code-breaking center. The goal is to establish guidelines for AI, enabling the U.K. to assume a more substantial role in both regulating and becoming a central hub for the AI industry.

Today we have published an interim report for our inquiry examining the governance of artificial intelligence: https://t.co/665kodakiZ pic.twitter.com/hPLJ14bh2w

— Science, Innovation and Technology Committee (@CommonsSITC) August 31, 2023

The report highlights AI’s capacity to spread deepfakes, which could deceive the public, and the risk of bad actors leveraging the tech to develop new biological and chemical weapons.

The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee recently urged the government to abandon proposals granting AI developers unrestricted access to train their systems using pre-existing music, literature and art. In a different report dated Aug. 30, the committee cautioned that the government’s initial proposal to exempt AI-driven text and data mining from copyright protections could diminish the value of arts and culture, relegating them to mere resources for AI advancement.

Within the government, discussions have arisen regarding the inclusion of China in the November meeting. This gathering is set to convene the Group of Seven global leaders, along with industry executives, as reported by Bloomberg, citing sources knowledgeable about the matter.

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The SITC report advised the government to draft an AI bill for deliberation during an upcoming session of parliament on Nov. 7. Failure to do so could result in the U.K. falling behind other legislative efforts, notably the ongoing discussions concerning the EU’s AI Act, the report states.

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