Responsible AI toolkits launched as nations release the Bletchley Declaration on AI
Britain and 27 other nations, excluding New Zealand, have published the Bletchley Declaration with the aim of boosting global efforts to work together on artificial intelligence safety.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking after hosting a summit in AI safety in London, described the declaration as a “landmark achievement that sees the world's greatest AI powers agree on the urgency behind understanding the risks of AI”.
But what will the declaration by 28 countries and the European Union actually do when it comes to the safety of AI?
"The Declaration fulfills key summit objectives in establishing shared agreement and responsibility on the risks, opportunities and a forward process for international collaboration on frontier AI safety and research, particularly through greater scientific collaboration," Britain said in a a statement.
"This includes, alongside increased transparency by private actors developing frontier AI capabilities, appropriate evaluation metrics, tools for safety testing, and developing relevant public sector capability and scientific research," the declaration stated.
The AI safety summit organised by Rishi Sunak received a lot of criticism in the run-up to the event for the perception that it would focus on the potentially catastrophic impacts of runaway AI. Indeed, high-profile attendees like Elon Musk have warned of a dystopian scenario playing out if controls on the development of AI aren’t put in place.
More intelligent than us
“I mean, for the first time, we have a situation where there’s something that is going to be far smarter than the smartest human. So, you know, we’re not stronger or faster than other creatures, but we are more intelligent. And here we are, for the first time really in human history, with something that’s going to be far more intelligent than us,” he said this week.
But it doesn’t appear as if any concrete measures have been settled on to support a more cautious approach to developing AI, and the European Union nations already have the AI Act in the works, which would set up a risk-based assessment process to evaluate the safety of AI products and services.
Australia was a signee to the Bletchley Declaration. It’s unclear why New Zealand did not sign it, though the pending status of the new Government may have something to do with that.
AI Governance website launched
This week the AI Forum, in conjunction with Callaghan Innovation, launched a new website featuring toolkits and frameworks to help New Zealand businesses and organisations responsibly deploy AI.
“We don’t yet have all the answers, but the mission of the AI Forum is to draw upon our network and advance New Zealand’s AI ecosystem, and promote the economic opportunities that could come from smart, and responsible use of AI. We must do this in collaboration with those at the frontline of this field so it’s great to have Callaghan Innovation’s support as we set out on this important work,” says AI Forum Executive Director Madeline Newman.
Alongside the Lite, Robust, and Comprehensive toolkits, are a series of thought leadership articles with AI experts, including Frith Tweedie, Mia Simmonds, and Megan Tapsell.
Newman says the website will be a free resource open to all, with additional content added regularly by the AI Forum.
Visit the AI Governance website.