Darren Jones calls for AI security talks
Rishi Sunak should hold an international summit in London to make sure AI doesn't have « catastrophic” impact on humanity, senior MPs said.
Darren Jones, chairman of the Labor Commons Business and Trade Committee, said negotiations need to begin on a “government-to-government approach” to AI security before anything happens , which “frightens the public.”
Greg Clark, the conservative chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, said convening such a meeting would give the UK an opportunity to demonstrate global leadership.
The launch of ChatGPT, an AI “Large Language Model” (LLM) that allows fluent written responses to queries, has raised eyebrows, and in some quarters, fear, at the breakneck pace at which the technology is advancing.
In March, a controversial open letter signed by tech leaders including Elon Musk called for a “pause” in training on increasingly powerful systems to allow time for a “set of common security protocols.”
The letter lists a wide range of threats, from the ability of AI to “flood” society with misinformation and “automate all jobs” to the development of “non-human intelligence that could eventually outnumber us, outwit us, become obsolete and replace us.”
This sparked a fierce debate, with some AI experts mentioned in the letter distancing themselves from its content and saying that its recommendations are “overshadowed by fear-mongering.”
This week, Mr. Jones, a rising star in the Labor Party who is promised a shadow cabinet position, wrote to the government in a letter urging ministers to start negotiations with countries, including the US and China, to “agree on the conditions necessary for a safe and secure testing advanced artificial intelligence”.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he said the letter was aimed at the “front lines” of AI development, where concerns are raised about potential “new threats to national security.”
new types of software for cyberattacks?” He said. “Some people think that we have achieved this or are very close to it now.”
“Then there are more important and existential things in which there is a general concern that where we are in terms of exponential development curve, the probability that we will achieve a high-risk result is higher every month.”
Mr Jones said he was also concerned about how AI could influence the political process, for example by creating “deepfake” videos that can realistically mimic people's looks and voices. He said Britain had a “great opportunity” to lead the debate on AI regulation, both as a leading player in multilateral institutions and as home to world-class universities and cutting-edge companies, including DeepMind.
Mr Jones added. : “I didn't come into this as someone who wants to shut it all down.
“I think it's absolutely essential that we integrate AI and technology not only into our economy, but also into the development of our society. services if we are going to improve the quality of service and lower the cost.
“But that won't happen if there is a high-risk outcome that scares the public and parliament, and then everyone just starts shutting things down.”
Mr. Clark, whose committee is currently investigating AI governance. – told The Telegraph that he will support the UK in hosting an international conference on regulation. “We have an opportunity to be a leader here,” he said.
However, he said it was important for the government to first “make a serious decision about how we think this should be done.”
“It's going to take some time – we don't have all the time in the world, but we need to get it right,” he said. he said.
“To take this seriously, one must not jump into drastic over-regulation without first understanding what is needed.”
Mr Clarke added that AI offers a “spectrum” of possibilities “from positive transformation for humanity to potentially catastrophic.”
He pointed to the taboo against human cloning as an example of the successful collective decision by the international community not to engage in potentially unethical and dangerous applications of science.
“When you have extremely dangerous opportunities, it doesn't. I don't want to say that they will inevitably occur and it will be impossible to settle against them,” he said.
“We should not be too pessimistic about this. Humanity and the countries we are in can collectively establish rules that will prevent natural disasters.”
A representative from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology said: “The government agrees on the need to manage risks and prevent the misuse of AI technology, since it plays an increasingly important role in our lives. People need to be sure that this will not be used to undermine their security, privacy, rights or health.
“We made this clear in the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence, which includes our own approach to regulation . for the responsible development of AI in the UK. It is designed to address potential harm as well as to drive innovation, where UK companies such as DeepMind are at the forefront.”
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