Tim Wright, AI expert and technology partner at City law firm Fladgate, previews the UK AI summit on 1 November, reflects on the regulatory environment and what will constitute a successful outcome for Rishi Sunak and the UK government.
He said: “The UK AI summit is a great opportunity to strengthen coordination between government, academia and the private sector on AI safety. If done well, it can provide a platform to hash out important issues at the intersection of technology and society, and encourage more funding in the space.
Regulatory debate and divergence
“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech last week (26 October) made it clear that the UK government is not proposing to change course and rush in AI technology regulation. Whilst some technologists also warn against premature or excessive regulation stifling innovation, and the summit’s multistakeholder format is useful, targeted regulatory proposals will still be needed. The UK has held back from specific, targeted regulation, pushing a business-friendly approach. In contrast, the EU will soon bring its AI Act into force.
“The UK is the EU’s third biggest trading partner and companies which want access to its markets have to abide by its rules. So, regardless of the UK’s “non-rush approach”, developers and users of AI systems, especially those considered to be high-risk under the EU AI Act’s system risk taxonomy, will have to sit up and pay attention to the new rules. Failing to do so carries a risk of very large GDPR-like fines. However, there is less of a pull factor for third (non-EU) countries with the AI Act, so countries like the UK can take a markedly different approach if they want.
Chinese exclusion
“Liz Truss’s self-promotional, attention-grabbing comments around excluding Chinese delegates from the summit are merely designed to place pressure on Downing Street. China’s exclusion would only reduce the summit’s completeness and credibility, while hampering global coordination and standard-setting on AI issues which require broad international alignment to be effective.
A successful summit
“The summit can be seen as a success for the UK if it results in new partnerships, global alignment, or we see joint initiatives emerging, which could back up some of the rhetoric of the UK leading international coordination on AI regulatory frameworks. Attendance by the likes of French president Emmanuel Macron, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and US VP Kamala Harris, will also help amplify its reach and boost the government’s claim to be setting the AI safety agenda for years to come.”
