← Back to House of Commons Debates

Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit

09 November 2023

Lead MP

Michelle Donelan

Debate Type

Ministerial Statement

Tags

Science & Technology
Other Contributors: 14

At a Glance

Michelle Donelan raised concerns about artificial intelligence safety summit in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Government Statement

Science & Technology
Government Statement
Today, I update the House on a significant milestone in the UK's AI sector. The country has seen a 688% increase in AI companies over less than a decade, with scale-ups raising almost double that of France, Germany, and other European countries combined. However, the rapid advancement in AI presents both immense opportunities and potential risks. Last week, we convened an international summit at Bletchley Park, where leaders from 28 countries and the EU signed the 'Bletchley declaration', agreeing on principles for human-centric, trustworthy, and responsible use of AI. This includes measures to protect human rights, ensure transparency, fairness, accountability, safety, oversight, ethics, bias mitigation, privacy, and data protection. Additionally, an international agreement was secured on pre-deployment testing of models by governments, led by the Turing prize winner Yoshua Bengio for a state-of-the-art report. The UK will establish a permanent AI safety institute to conduct third-party testing, with funding confirmed for the rest of the decade. Future summits are scheduled in South Korea and France, ensuring continuous international collaboration. Beyond this summit, our White Paper ensures agility and responsiveness in legislation as risks evolve, without rushing into inadequate regulation. Pre-deployment testing is a critical achievement, essential to mitigate AI risks responsibly. Companies also committed to publishing safety policies, fostering transparency and competition. The minister emphasises the transformative potential of AI while stressing the importance of safety governance to prevent misuse and uphold societal trust.

Shadow Comment

Matt Rodda
Shadow Comment
The Labour party welcomes the international agreements made at Bletchley Park, aiming for more collaboration in future summits. We support the creation of an AI safety institute but have questions about its scope and function compared to the previous taskforce. Concerns were raised over insufficient UK computing power for AI research. The shadow expresses doubt about voluntary measures given the Prime Minister's warnings on potential misuse by terrorists or criminals, demanding urgent binding regulation rather than relying solely on non-mandatory commitments. Labour calls for legislation on frontier AI development to ensure public safety and security.
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy

About House of Commons Debates

House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.