- Written by Jessica Parker & Zoe Kleinman
- bbc news
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may decline an invitation to attend a major UK summit on artificial intelligence, the BBC understands.
The government will host an event on November 1st for technology leaders, academics and political leaders to discuss AI safety.
The agenda will focus on specific future threats posed by rapidly evolving technologies, such as cybersecurity.
The UK is discussing establishing a global AI watchdog to monitor developments in AI.
The guest list of 100 attendees has not been made public, but some industry insiders say it’s unclear whether the event will draw top leaders.
Government officials claimed the summit was attracting “huge attention” both domestically and internationally.
The two-day conference will bring together leading politicians, as well as independent experts and senior executives from large tech companies, primarily based in the United States.
The first day will bring together technology companies and academics for a discussion chaired by Michelle Donnellan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
On the second day, a “small group” including international government officials will attend a meeting hosted by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
It will be held at Bletchley Park, a country house in Buckinghamshire that was once the secret headquarters of a World War II code-breaking unit.
Although no final decision has been made, it is currently considered unlikely that the German Chancellor will attend.
This could raise concerns of a “domino effect” with other world leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, but this is also unconfirmed.
Government sources say several world leaders have clearly indicated their intention to attend, and the BBC understands that high-level representatives from a number of US-based tech giants will attend.
The Foreign Minister confirmed in September that a Chinese representative had been invited, despite discussions.
Some members of Britain’s ruling Conservative party believe China should be excluded from the conference due to a series of security concerns.
It is unclear whether he accepted the invitation.
China is home to a huge AI sector and has already created its own rules to govern the responsible use of the technology in the country.
The United States, a leading country in this field and the world’s largest economy, will be represented by Vice President Kamala Harris.
In what was seen as a political victory for Downing Street, a UK-hosted AI summit was announced during Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s trip to the US in June.
The UK wants to position itself as a key intermediary as the world grapples with the potential pitfalls and risks of AI.
But Berlin is thought to want to avoid any awkward duplication with the G7’s efforts after a group of major democracies agreed to develop an international code of conduct.
Germany is also the EU’s largest economy and itself aims to complete its own groundbreaking AI law by the end of this year.
This includes the ability to rank AI tools according to their importance, so email filters, for example, are less regulated than medical diagnostic systems.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to attend next month’s summit, but Berlin may also send government officials such as Deputy Prime Minister Robert Habeck.
The UK is currently planning to incorporate AI regulation into existing institutions. So, for example, people who feel they are being discriminated against by an AI tool will contact the Equality Commission.
However, many experts in the field are calling for an international, UN-style regulator to oversee AI at a global level.
An official from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology said, “This is the first international summit to focus on the risks of frontier AI, and it is attracting a lot of attention both domestically and internationally.”
“For security reasons, it is customary not to confirm senior attendance at major international events until closer to the event date.”