UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will host the world’s first major artificial intelligence (AI) safety summit at the iconic World War II era code-breaker site of Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, on November 1 and 2.
International governments, including India, and leading AI experts are expected to converge upon the UK for the AI Safety Summit to explore the safe development and use of frontier AI technology.
Sunak said: “The UK has long been home to the transformative technologies of the future, so there is no better place to host the first ever global AI safety summit than at Bletchley Park this November.
“To fully embrace the extraordinary opportunities of artificial intelligence, we must grip and tackle the risks to ensure it develops safely in the years ahead. With the combined strength of our international partners, thriving AI industry and expert academic community, we can secure the rapid international action we need for the safe and responsible development of AI around the world.”
Bletchley Park, a significant location in the history of computer science development and once the home of British Enigma codebreaking – it will see coordinated action to agree a set of rapid, targeted measures for furthering safety in global AI use.
Iain Standen, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, said: “Bletchley Park Trust is immensely privileged to have been chosen as the venue for the first major international summit on AI safety this November, and we look forward to welcoming the world to our historic site.
“It is fitting that the very spot where leading minds harnessed emerging technologies to influence the successful outcome of World War Two will, once again, be the crucible for international coordinated action.”
The UK government highlighted that the country boasts strong credentials as a world leader in AI, with the technology employing over 50,000 people. Frontier AI models hold enormous potential to power economic growth, drive scientific progress and wider public benefits, while also posing potential safety risks if not developed responsibly.
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UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “No country will be untouched by AI, and no country alone will solve the challenges posed by this technology. In our interconnected world, we must have an international approach.
“The origins of modern AI can be traced back to Bletchley Park. Now, it will also be home to the global effort to shape the responsible use of AI.”
