The UK Government has officially confirmed that the anticipated global summit on artificial intelligence (AI) safety will take place on 1 and 2 November, and at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.

Governments across the globe, AI companies, and researchers are set to come together for much-needed talks concerning the safe development and use of the technology, as well as how risks can potentially be mitigated through co-ordinated international action, amid its rapid advancement.

According to the UK Government, preparations for the upcoming summit are “already in full flow,” with Matt Clifford and Jonathan Black — a tech expert and former senior diplomat respectively — recently announced as the two people to spearhead talks and negotiations.

The AI safety summit was first announced by prime minister Rishi Sunak in June this year, after a series of discussions and meetings from members of the UK Government with world leaders, tech leaders, and businesspeople regarding AI.

The early November summit is expected to build on the ongoing work at international forums such as the UN, the Global Partnership on AI, and the Council of Europe.

“The UK has long been home to the transformative technologies of the future, so there is no better place to host the first ever global AI safety summit than at Bletchley Park this November,” said the prime minister today.

“To fully embrace the extraordinary opportunities of artificial intelligence, we must grip and tackle the risks to ensure it develops safely in the years ahead.

“With the combined strength of our international partners, thriving AI industry and expert academic community, we can secure the rapid international action we need for the safe and responsible development of AI around the world.”

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The location of Bletchley Park is a rather fitting place for the UK AI safety summit to be held. It was once the top-secret headquarters for codebreakers during World War II, housing the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), with the likes of Alan Turing being a part of the GC&CS team of codebreakers. It’s now cited as the “birthplace of modern computing.”

Iain Standen, the CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, commented: ”Bletchley Park Trust is immensely privileged to have been chosen as the venue for the first major international summit on AI safety this November, and we look forward to welcoming the world to our historic site.

“It is fitting that the very spot where leading minds harnessed emerging technologies to influence the successful outcome of World War Two will, once again, be the crucible for international co-ordinated action.

“We are incredibly excited to be providing the stage for discussions on global safety standards, which will help everyone manage and monitor the risks of artificial intelligence.”

While the details of confirmed attendees aren’t yet known, the UK Government stipulated that they will be announced “in due course.”

Regulation, AI, and the UK

Tech Secretary Michelle Donelan said today that “International collaboration is the cornerstone of our approach to AI regulation” — but over the last few months, there’s been uncertainty within the UK about just how effectively the technology will be regulated here.

The UK Government is taking a non-statutory approach, thereby relying on regulators to oversee the use of artificial intelligence in their specific areas while following the five principles of safety, transparency, fairness, accountability, and contestability, as outlined in the UK Government’s AI whitepaper published earlier this year.

However, in June, DIGIT reported on research commissioned by Appraise — the network for AI policy and advocacy professionals — which uncovered that only 6% of Members of Parliament believe existing regulators have the required skills and expertise to regulate AI.

Relatedly, recent research also found out that 52% of small- and medium-sized enterprises are still seeking clarity on rules and regulations concerning artificial intelligence.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission, meanwhile, warned that the UK Government’s proposed plans for AI regulation don’t adequately tackle the risks to human rights and equality.

While Britain’s equality watchdog agreed with a principle-based framework for regulating AI, it stated that a greater focus on human rights and equality — alongside much greater funding for regulators like itself — was needed.