In a move to strengthen global cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) safety, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. will host the first-ever meeting of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes. The event will take place in San Francisco from November 20-21, 2024, bringing together leading technical experts on AI safety from across the globe.
The initiative, which follows Raimondo’s announcement at the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, represents a significant effort by the Biden-Harris Administration to foster international collaboration in the rapidly advancing field of AI. The two-day event aims to align on priority areas for safety and promote global knowledge-sharing to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a secure and trustworthy manner.
“AI is the defining technology of our generation. With AI evolving at a rapid pace, we at the Department of Commerce, and across the Biden-Harris Administration, are pulling every lever,” said Secretary Raimondo. “That includes close, thoughtful coordination with our allies and like-minded partners…We want the rules of the road on AI to be underpinned by safety, security, and trust…”
The International Network of AI Safety Institutes includes member nations such as Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. All member countries share a commitment to advancing the science of AI safety and recognize the need for international coordination to ensure equitable benefits from AI technology.
The San Francisco convening will mark the first opportunity for AI safety experts from each member nation to meet and discuss key priorities for the Network. Participants will come from government-backed scientific offices or equivalent safety institutes, and they will work to set a collaborative agenda to guide global AI safety initiatives.
The goal of the meeting is to foster technical collaboration ahead of the AI Action Summit, scheduled to be held in Paris in February 2025. This collaboration is expected to address critical issues such as mitigating the risks posed by AI, ensuring AI systems operate safely, and promoting transparency in AI development.
Secretary of State Blinken emphasized the importance of international partnerships. “Strengthening international collaboration on AI safety is critical to harnessing AI technology to solve the world’s greatest challenges. The AI Safety Network stands as a cornerstone of this effort,” Blinken said. The collaboration is seen as essential to managing the global risks associated with AI while ensuring its benefits are distributed fairly worldwide.
In addition to government representatives, the event will also invite experts from civil society, academia, and industry to participate in certain portions of the convening. These stakeholders will help inform the work of the Network and offer insights into the latest developments in AI research, safety, and governance. Their involvement is expected to provide a holistic view of AI’s impact on society and contribute to the creation of a robust international framework for AI safety.
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