Britain seeks global AI agreement at G20 summit

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NEW YORK — The U.K. will seek to use its upcoming G20 presidency to forge a global agreement on AI, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said ahead of a visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

This comes as discussions about global AI governance have shot up the diplomatic agenda in the wake of dire warnings about the potential threats from the technology, and marks the most significant intervention yet from the U.K.’s prime minister about how he will respond to perceived threats from AI.

Speaking to journalists on Monday night, Burnham said the U.K. was “uniquely positioned to play a leadership role on AI,” citing its relations with the EU, U.S. and China. He also said the U.K.’s expertise, including its AI Security Institute, means it could be act as an “honest broker.”

“I think we can really do something in this space [that is] very significant,” Burnham said.

Burnham is due to meet President Donald Trump for the first time as prime minister on Tuesday, and said he will assure the U.S. president that the U.K. will take a balanced approach on AI.

“I think you have to be clear-eyed about the huge benefits it can bring as well as recognizing where we do need to be careful,” Burnham said — noting that Trump has warned of risks from AI. The U.S. president has also branded existential warnings around the tech as a “HOAX.”

Burnham said warnings from AI company insiders have “made me pause” but that he was determined to find a “sweet spot” on balancing the tech’s benefits against its risks, and not turn into a “doom-monger about AI.”

The U.K.’s AI minister, Kanishka Narayan, has traveled with Burnham to New York, where No. 10 said AI would dominate diplomatic engagements.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday evening, Burnham is expected to call on countries to work together to harness AI for good and promise U.K. leadership on the issue.