To establish itself as a mediator between the U.S., China, and the E.U. in a crucial tech industry post-Brexit, Britain will host the first global artificial intelligence (A.I.) safety meeting next month.

The meeting on November 1-2 will emphasize the existential danger that some parliamentarians, including Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of Britain, worry A.I. presents. The technology might be used by criminals and terrorists to develop weapons of mass devastation, according to Sunak, who wants the U.K. to become a hub for A.I. safety.

Contrarily, the E.U. has thus far prioritized the technology’s effects on corporate transparency and human rights.

At Bletchley Park in southern England, where mathematician Alan Turing deciphered the Enigma code used by Nazi Germany, Sunak will welcome about 100 visitors. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis lead a guest list that includes legislators, A.I. pioneers, and academics.

According to tech investor and one of the summit’s two main organizers, Matt Clifford, the summit’s goal is to launch a global conversation on A.I. regulation. Clifford said, “It’s not a parliament. “Neither are we creating laws or treaties. We’re attempting to include a variety of voices with extremely diverse viewpoints in the discussion.

The event program, released by the U.K. government this week, includes debates on the technology’s unanticipated advancements and the possibility that humans will lose control of it.

However, other professionals contend that the conference shouldn’t concentrate so much on existential dangers. They claim that there are more urgent issues at hand.

Most individuals I interact with find it surprising that the U.K. has adopted this stance, according to Stephanie Hare, an author and eminent expert in technological ethics. “The question is: What are you going to do about it?”

NOISE

High-profile individuals had already been warning about the existential dangers of A.I. when Sunak originally made the summit announcement in June. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, demanded that such systems’ development be put on hold. Geoffrey Hinton, a “godfather of A.I.” and former Google researcher, said that the technology presented a greater immediate threat to civilization than climate change.

Why Britain chose to be the center of A.I. safety has drawn criticism. Supporters assert that the summit will highlight London’s status as a global leader in the technology sector. British IT startups raised more money in 2022 than their counterparts in France and Germany combined, according to latest Dealroom statistics.

Following Sunak’s conference announcement, OpenAI stated it would establish its first office outside the United States in London. Google (GOOGL.O) released a study claiming that further A.I. investment could increase Britain’s GDP by $488 billion by 2030.

There are three major poles in the world: the United States, the E.U., and China, according to Marc Warner, CEO of the London-based AI company Faculty, who is present at the summit. It’s unlikely that any of those would let it be located in the others if you tried to undertake any international partnership.

He continued: “If you agree that London is the third most important A.I. city, behind San Francisco and Beijing, and that Britain is relatively neutral compared to the three big blocs, it’s a sensible proposition.” Vice President Vera Jourova recently received an invitation to the event, according to the E.U., although her presence was not confirmed.

A spokeswoman told Reuters, “We are considering potential E.U. participation.” Brando Benifei and Dragos Tudorache, the two members of the European Parliament who oversaw the creation of the A.I. Act for the Union, were still waiting for invites as of the time of writing.

“It seems that this event’s focus on safety might be a different concept of safety from the A.I. Act, which has been centered around protecting fundamental rights,” Benifei stated.

The British government received criticism over one probable attendee, China, even though the architects of A.I. policy in Europe may not attend. In an interview with Politico, Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt justified the choice, saying they’re trying to create structures that make A.I. a net benefit to humanity. You can’t just ignore the second-biggest economy in the world.”