AI safety beyond the UK Summit: A conversation with Secretary Michelle Donelan

Policymakers around the world are increasingly alarmed at the risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence. The United Kingdom has attempted to take a leading role in shaping the agenda for AI safety on the global stage. On November 1 and 2, leaders from government, industry, civil society, academia, and international institutions gathered in Bletchley Park for a global summit on AI safety with the aim of building consensus on the risks of frontier AI models and setting out steps for future cooperation on their safe and responsible development and deployment.

The U.K. has also enacted a sweeping attempt at securing the broader online ecosystem with its Online Safety Act, which passed on October 26 and sets out robust standards for online platforms with respect to illegal or harmful content. The Right Honorable Michelle Donelan, the U.K.’s secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, stepped into the newly created role in February 2023 and is responsible for leading the government’s efforts on both AI and online safety.

On November 13, the Brookings Institution hosted Secretary Donelan for a discussion on the U.K.’s efforts on AI and online safety, followed by an expert panel who assessed progress made at the AI Safety Summit and how it fits in with broader trends toward cooperation in the global policy landscape.

Online viewers submitted questions via e-mail to [email protected] or via Twitter using #UKAIsafety.

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