US and UK Establish Official Partnership on AI Safety

The United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) solidified their commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) safety by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday.

This landmark agreement aims to establish rigorous standards for evaluating AI models, systems, and agents through coordinated scientific endeavours.

As part of the collaboration, both nations will conduct joint testing exercises on publicly accessible AI models and facilitate personnel exchanges between their respective AI Safety Institutes.

Immediate in effect, the partnership was announced simultaneously by the US Department of Commerce and the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hailed AI as the "defining technology of our generation," stressing the agreement's comprehensive approach to addressing various risks associated with AI, from national security to societal impacts.

Gina pointed out:

"Our partnership makes clear that we aren't running away from these concerns – we're running at them."

UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan echoed this sentiment, emphasising the global importance of safe AI development and the need for international cooperation.

She expressed:

"This is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world. AI is already an extraordinary force for good in our society, and has vast potential to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, but only if we are able to grip those risks."

In an interview with the Financial Times, Michelle underscored the urgency of the partnership in light of the imminent release of new AI models, emphasising the necessity for collaboration between governments and leading AI companies, many of which are based in the US.