AI Seoul Summit 2024

In case you missed the news last week, the AI Summit Seoul was on May 21–22. It was co-hosted by the governments of South Korea and the UK. This summit was the second of its kind, following the AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park in November 2023.

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The summit was attended by leaders from Canada, France, Germany, USA, South Korea, Singapore, UK and Australia. They were joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Sam Altman from OpenAI, as well as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and South Korea’s Naver.

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The summit resulted in the adoption of the Seoul Declaration, a commitment to foster international cooperation to help develop AI governance frameworks that are interoperable between countries. It advocates for the development of human-centric AI in collaboration with the private sector, academia, and civil society.

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At the summit the UK government unveiled an ￡8.5 million research fund aimed at pushing the boundaries of AI safety testing. It will support researchers in exploring systemic AI safety, a field dedicated to understanding and mitigating the societal impacts of AI. The focus will be on addressing risks such as deepfakes and cyberattacks, while also harnessing AI's benefits for increased productivity.

The grants, led by the UK's pioneering AI Safety Institute, will foster international collaboration, inviting researchers to develop proposals that could evolve into long-term projects with further funding opportunities. This initiative is a testament to the UK's leadership in AI safety and its commitment to a future where AI is both safe and beneficial for society. For more details on the funding and how to apply, visit the AI Safety Institute's website.

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Here are the key takeaways from the summit:

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1. Global AI Safety Commitments: Tech giants pledged to publish safety frameworks for their frontier AI models, ensuring responsible development and deployment.

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2. International Network of AI Safety Institutes: A collaborative effort to form a network of institutes dedicated to AI safety, fostering research and setting global standards. Including one in the UK.

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3. Risk Threshold Collaboration: Nations agreed to collaborate on defining risk thresholds for AI models, particularly those with potential applications in sensitive areas like biological and chemical weapons.

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4. Research Grants: The UK government announced grants for research into AI risks, emphasizing the importance of understanding and mitigating potential threats.

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These steps represent a collective effort to ensure that AI development is safe, responsible, and inclusive.

As we move forward, it's crucial for industry leaders, policymakers, and the global community to continue this dialogue and work towards a future where AI can be harnessed for the greater good.

I am curious to know your thoughts.