The UK is set to hold a conference in San Francisco in November to engage with AI developers on implementing commitments made at the AI Seoul Summit. To be held on 21 and 22 November, the programme will focus on AI safety, serving as a precursor to the AI Action Summit, set to be hosted by France in February 2025.
The conference will feature workshops and discussions aimed at addressing AI safety concerns. Ahead of the summit, 16 companies from around the world, including those from the US, EU, Republic of Korea, China, and the UAE, have committed to publishing their latest AI safety frameworks. These frameworks will outline their strategies for addressing the most significant potential risks associated with AI, particularly concerning misuse by malicious actors.
As part of this commitment, the companies also agreed to halt the deployment or development of any models if their associated risks cannot be adequately mitigated.
“The conference is a clear sign of the UK’s ambition to further the shared global mission to design practical and effective approaches to AI safety,” said the UK’s Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. “We’re just months away from the AI Action Summit, and the discussions in San Francisco will give companies a clear focus on where and how they can bolster their AI safety plans [by] building on the commitments they made in Seoul.”
Upcoming San Francisco AI conference an opportunity to cement international progress on AI safety
The conference will provide an opportunity for AI companies to reflect on their progress and exchange ideas and insights, facilitating the development of their AI safety frameworks through focused discussions between signatory companies and researchers.
Participants at the event are also asked to share their views on significant areas of discussion, including AI model safety evaluations, transparency, and risk thresholds as well as existing and current proposals for developer safety plans.
The event is co-hosted by the UK’s AI Safety Institute (AISI) and the Centre for the Governance of AI. According to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the conference will help in developing a deeper understanding of the ways that the Frontier AI Safety Commitments are being put into practice.
The San Francisco conference will also provide a platform for attendees to exchange best practices and refine their AI safety frameworks ahead of the AI Action Summit.
It comes on the heels of the US government’s announcement of the inaugural meeting of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, which will be held on 20-21 November, just before the UK-led event.
The US-hosted gathering will bring together AI safety experts from across the globe to align on key priorities and foster international collaboration on AI safety.
The UK’s new move aligns with its leadership in AI safety, following the establishment of the AI Safety Institute at Bletchley Park in November 2023. Earlier this year, the UK and US also forged a partnership to establish greater AI safety globally. It marked one of the world’s first such collaborative efforts between jurisdictions to establish greater AI safety and understanding.
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