Britain will be setting up the world's first AI safety institute, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday before he hosts a gathering next week of representatives of AI companies, political leaders and experts.

According to the Prime Minister, the institute will advance the world's knowledge of AI safety, and it will carefully examine, evaluate and test new types of AI so that we understand what each new model is capable of, exploring all the risks from social harms like bias and misinformation through to the most extreme dangers of all.

AI has been offset versions officially classed as a security threat to the UK for the first time following the publication of the National Risk Register (NRR) 2023. The extensive document details the various threats that could significantly impact the UK's safety. Security, or critical systems at a national level. The latest version describes AI as a "chronic risk", meaning it poses a long-term threat instead of an acute one, such as a terror attack. 

The NRR stated that there is a range of potential risks, and there is uncertainty about the transformative impact of AI.  

The document acknowledges the widely recognized cybersecurity complexities linked to the evolving capabilities of AI, including generative AI. Despite the various opportunities AI presents across diverse sectors, the UK government emphasizes the country's susceptivity to potential hazards. 

Last month, the UK Parliament published The Governance of Artificial Intelligence: Interim Report. This is a House of Commons Committee report with recommendations to the government. They have asked the government to respond within two months. 

They launched an inquiry on 20 October 2022 to examine the impact of AI on different areas of society and the economy, whether and how AI and its different uses should be regulated, and the UK Government's AI governance proposals.

They received and published over 100 written submissions and took oral evidence from 24 individuals, including AI researchers, businesses, civil society representatives, and individuals affected by this technology.  

Source: Reuters