British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed the UK’s interest in collaborating with other countries, including China, on Artificial Intelligence (AI) during his chairmanship of the first U.N. Security Council meeting on AI. The UK government is also considering inviting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the first major global summit on AI safety. While governments worldwide are working on establishing regulations for AI, the Chinese regime recently released temporary regulations on generative AI.
When asked if the UK is behind China in AI development, Cleverly stated that mitigating AI risks should not be seen as a competition. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration to ensure success and protection. Cleverly mentioned that a Chinese AI expert, along with a British one, would brief the meeting, highlighting the UK’s commitment to working with other countries to safeguard against AI risks.
Regarding potential safety and security risks of collaborating with China on AI, Cleverly pointed out that all countries, including China, have an incentive to work collaboratively and multilaterally to harness the benefits of AI while protecting against potential pitfalls.
The UK is preparing to host an AI summit in the coming months. The invitation list to the summit, decided by the Foreign Office, is under scrutiny, with Minister for AI Jonathan Berry asserting that it would be impractical to exclude China. He emphasized the need for global regulation on AI safety and the involvement of China in addressing the risks of artificial intelligence.
China’s AI regulations emphasize improving the accuracy, objectivity, and diversity of data used to train AI, while also prohibiting the use of AI to generate content that undermines state power, state security, or national unity. Foreign companies providing AI-based services in China must also adhere to these rules.
In a speech in Prague, Sir Richard Moore, head of MI6, warned about the use of AI by authoritarian regimes to propagate disinformation and collect significant amounts of data. He expressed support for the principles of accurate and diverse data but called for their realization rather than mere slogans. Moore highlighted the UK’s advantages in AI, such as creativity, democratic values, advanced technology, and friendship-based partnerships.
Chenggang Xu, a visiting professor, disputed China’s leading status in AI, arguing that the lack of access to overseas information due to China’s internet firewall limits the comprehensiveness of Chinese AI models. He also stated that China’s AI advancements are focused on specific areas, while lagging behind in others. Xu cautioned against an overemphasis on China’s research papers and patents, highlighting the significance of research quality.
In conclusion, the UK is eager to collaborate with China and other countries on AI, recognizing the importance of international cooperation in addressing AI risks. The government is considering inviting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the global AI summit. While China is recognized as a leader in AI, concerns remain about limitations and potential biases in Chinese AI models. Various experts have emphasized the need for regulations and the importance of research quality in evaluating AI advancements.