South Korea is set to host a mini-summit on risks and regulation of artificial intelligence, following up on a similar meeting in the U.K. last year. The summit aims to build on previous work on reining in threats posed by cutting-edge AI systems. The gathering will focus on creating guardrails for the advancing technology, which promises to transform many aspects of society but also raises concerns about new risks such as algorithmic bias and potential existential threats.
The U.K. summit last year saw delegates from over two dozen countries signing the Bletchley Declaration, agreeing to work together to contain the potentially catastrophic risks posed by advances in artificial intelligence. In March, the U.N. General Assembly approved its first resolution on AI, supporting efforts to ensure the technology benefits all nations, respects human rights, and is safe, secure, and trustworthy. The U.S. and China also held high-level talks in Geneva to address the risks of AI and set shared standards to manage it.
The Seoul summit will be co-hosted by the South Korean and U.K. governments, with digital ministers from various countries gathering to share best practices and action plans. The meeting will focus on protecting society from the negative impacts of AI on areas such as energy use, workers, and the spread of misinformation. Participants will also discuss progress made in AI safety efforts, with representatives from companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic attending the meeting.
The original AI Safety Summit aimed to address existential risks posed by powerful AI models like ChatGPT. Pioneering computer scientist Yoshua Bengio led an expert panel to draft a report on AI safety, identifying risks such as malicious use, fraud, scams, disinformation, and bioweapons. The report highlighted the potential for AI systems to spread bias in healthcare, job recruitment, and financial lending, posing systemic risks to the labor market. South Korea hopes to take the initiative in formulating global governance and norms for AI at the Seoul summit.
Critics argue that South Korea may lack the necessary AI infrastructure to play a leadership role in global AI governance issues. Despite this, the Seoul summit serves as an important platform for discussions on AI safety and regulation. As Meta, OpenAI, and Google roll out new AI models, it becomes crucial to address the risks associated with these technologies. The Seoul summit aims to bring together experts, government officials, and industry leaders to collaborate on ensuring the safe and ethical development of artificial intelligence.
