Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Frontier AI Safety

Wednesday 20 November 2024 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK is a founding member of the AI Safety Institute international network.
  • The network convened for the first time on 2024-11-20 in San Francisco.
  • The UK Government is committed to algorithmic transparency recording standards.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tony Vaughan Lab Folkestone and Hythe
Science & Technology
Context

The question arises from the need to ensure that advancements in artificial intelligence are safe globally.

Question

If he will take steps to support the creation of a global network of scientific research on frontier artificial intelligence safety.

Answer from Peter Kyle

The UK is a founding member of the AI Safety Institute international network. The network convenes for the first time today in San Francisco.

Answered
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Q2 Tony Vaughan Lab Folkestone and Hythe
Science & Technology
Context

The question addresses the importance of global collaboration to ensure the safety of advanced AI models.

Question

The UK is a global leader in AI development, which brings many opportunities, but we know that the risks associated with AI can be managed only by global co-operation. What steps is the Department taking to ensure that the UK works with other main leaders in AI development, including the US and China, to ensure that the most advanced frontier AI models are safe for global consumers?

Answer from Peter Kyle

My hon. Friend is completely right to say that safety has to be there from the outset. We want our country to safely explore all the opportunities that AI offers, but it can do so only if people are reassured that safety is there from the outset. The UK safety institute is at the forefront of this. It is the first safety institute, and we are at the forefront of delivering international as well as domestic safety. We are currently working on an international review of the science of AI safety, which draws on the expertise of 30 countries.

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Q3 Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Culture, Media & Sport Science & Technology
Context

The question stems from the need to understand how AI is currently affecting society, particularly in terms of spreading online harm.

Question

My hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) rightly raises the need for research into frontier AI safety, and I welcome the Government's commitment to protecting the public from future AI risks. But AI affects all of our lives already. Today, my Committee launches an inquiry into algorithms, AI and their role in spreading online harm, as we saw in the terrible riots over the summer. As we build our evidence, how is the Minister building the evidence base on AI online harms and their social impact right now?

Answer from Peter Kyle

I am extremely grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee for choosing this as her first inquiry. It is an incredibly important area. This Government are committed to the algorithmic transparency recording standard. The previous Government reneged on their commitment to having individual Departments releasing their standard statement each year. This Government are committing to doing so again and will remain committed to reinforcing the fact that algorithms are there to serve people and not the other way round.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids specifying how the evidence base on AI online harms is being built beyond commitments to transparency standards.

How: Remained Committed, Committing To

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Q4 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Science & Technology
Context

The question aims to explore whether the Minister has engaged with Northern Irish companies regarding their potential contribution to AI safety research.

Question

There are many firms in Northern Ireland that have the capability and the experience to offer some advice on getting scientific research on AI safety. I know that the Minister is very interested in Northern Ireland, so has he had an opportunity to speak to companies in Northern Ireland so that we can play our part in how we take this matter forward?

Answer from Peter Kyle

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for acknowledging my interest in Northern Ireland, which I have already visited since being appointed in order to meet some of the pioneering tech companies there. I will stay committed to ensuring that the Government recognise the talent across Northern Ireland, harnessing it for not just the domestic good but the global good.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids specifying whether the Minister has spoken to specific companies about their contributions to AI safety research.

How: Remained Committed, Staying Committed

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