Rishi Sunak Encourages UK to Remain a Technology and Safety Regulatory Hub for AI

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will tell technology leaders on Monday 12 June that the UK must act quickly to remain a technology hub, urging them to understand the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI).

Sunak, speaking at the opening of London Tech Week, would say that "technological tectonic plates are shifting".

"We must act - and act quickly - if we are to not only maintain our position as one of the world's technology capitals... but to go further, and make this country the best country in the world to start, develop, and invest in technology business," Sunak said, according to excerpts released by his office.

"I consider this technology growth to be my goal. And I feel both an urgency and a responsibility to make sure we capture it," he said as quoted by Reuters.

Governments around the world are now trying to find a balance where they can assess and control for some of the potential negative consequences of AI without stifling innovation.

In March, the UK opted to split AI regulatory responsibilities between bodies overseeing human rights, health and safety and competition, instead of creating a new body dedicated to the technology.

Sunak will say the technology sector is at the center of his priorities for developing the economy and outlines how the government will work with businesses to take advantage of the opportunities offered by transformational technologies, such as AI, which proponents compare to the arrival of the internet.

During his visit to Washington last week, Sunak said the United Kingdom would host a global meeting on artificial intelligence security later this year to consider AI risks and discuss how they could be mitigated through internationally coordinated action.

"The possibilities are overwhelming. But we must - and we will - do it safely," he said Monday. "I want to make Britain not just an intellectual home, but also a geographic home for global AI security regulation."