UK deputy PM warns UN that AI regulation is falling behind advances

In a stark address to the UN, UK Deputy PM Oliver Dowden has sounded the alarm on the potentially destabilising impact of AI on the world order.

Dowden has urged governments to take immediate action to regulate AI development, warning that the rapid pace of advancement in AI technology could outstrip their ability to ensure its safe and responsible use.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Dowden highlighted that the UK will host a global summit in November...

22 September 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

IFOW: AI can have a positive impact on jobs

In a world where sensational headlines about AI and autonomous robots dominate the media landscape, a new report sheds light on a different narrative.

The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, explores the nuanced impacts of AI adoption on jobs and work quality. Contrary to the doomsday predictions, the report suggests that AI could have a positive influence on employment and job quality.

The study, conducted by the Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW),...

20 September 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

CMA sets out principles for responsible AI development 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has set out its principles to ensure the responsible development and use of foundation models (FMs).

FMs are versatile AI systems with the potential to revolutionise various sectors, from information access to healthcare. The CMA's report, published today, outlines a set of guiding principles aimed at safeguarding consumer protection and fostering healthy competition within this burgeoning industry.

Foundation models – known...

19 September 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

SEC turns its gaze from crypto to AI

US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler has announced a shift in focus from cryptocurrency to AI.

Gensler, who has been vocal about the risks and challenges posed by the cryptocurrency industry, now believes that AI is the technology that "warrants the hype" and deserves greater attention from regulators.

Gensler’s interest in AI dates back to 1997 when he became intrigued by the technology after witnessing Russian chess grandmaster Garry...

4 August 2023 | Applications

European Parliament adopts AI Act position

The European Parliament has taken a significant step towards the regulation of artificial intelligence by voting to adopt its position for the upcoming AI Act with an overwhelming majority. 

The act aims to regulate AI based on its potential to cause harm and follows a risk-based approach, prohibiting applications that pose an unacceptable risk while imposing strict regulations for high-risk use cases.

The timing of AI regulation has been a subject of debate, but...

14 June 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

UK will host global AI summit to address potential risks

The UK has announced that it will host a global summit this autumn to address the most significant risks associated with AI.

The decision comes after meetings between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, Congress, and business leaders.

“AI has an incredible potential to transform our lives for the better. But we need to make sure it is developed and used in a way that is safe and secure,” explained Sunak.

“No one country can do this alone....

8 June 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

AI Task Force adviser: AI will threaten humans in two years

An artificial intelligence task force adviser to the UK prime minister has a stark warning: AI will threaten humans in two years.

The adviser, Matt Clifford, said in an interview with TalkTV that humans have a narrow window of two years to control and regulate AI before it becomes too powerful.

“The near-term risks are actually pretty scary. You can use AI today to create new recipes for bioweapons or to launch large-scale cyber attacks,” said...

6 June 2023 | Applications

AI leaders warn about ‘risk of extinction’ in open letter

The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) recently issued a statement signed by prominent figures in AI warning about the potential risks posed by the technology to humanity.

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” reads the statement.

Signatories of the statement include renowned researchers and Turing Award winners like Geoffery Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, as well as...

31 May 2023 | Applications

OpenAI CEO: AI regulation ‘is essential’

sam altman senate committee ai regulation artificial intelligence openai

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified in front of a Senate judiciary committee panel and emphasised the importance of regulating AI.

Altman highlighted the potential benefits of AI technologies like ChatGPT and Dall-E 2 to help address significant challenges such as climate change and cancer, but he also stressed the need to mitigate the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI models.

Altman proposed that governments consider implementing licensing and testing...

16 May 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

EU committees green-light the AI Act

The Internal Market Committee and the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament have endorsed new transparency and risk-management rules for artificial intelligence systems known as the AI Act.

This marks a major step in the development of AI regulation in Europe, as these are the first-ever rules for AI. The rules aim to ensure that AI systems are safe, transparent, traceable, and non-discriminatory.

After the vote, co-rapporteur Brando Benifei (S&D,...

11 May 2023 | Artificial Intelligence