UK Invites China To Global Meeting Of Artificial Intelligence Next November

British Foreign Minister James Cleanly invited China to the AI conference. (photo: twitter @JamesCleaverly)

JAKARTA - The UK has invited China to attend a summit of global artificial intelligence (AI) which will be held in November 2023. British Foreign Minister James Cleanly said the risk of this technology could not be managed if one of its main players was not present.

"We cannot maintain public security in the UK from the risk of AI if we rule out one of the leading countries in AI technology," Cloverly said in a statement on Tuesday, September 19.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants Britain to become a global leader in AI regulations, and a meeting on November 1-2 will gather governments, technology companies and academics to discuss the risks posed by this new, very powerful technology.

The UK said the event would discuss topics such as how AI could threaten biosecurity and how this technology could be used for the good of the public, for example in safer transportation.

Cleanly, who is the most senior minister to visit China in the last five years, last month, has argued for deeper engagement with Beijing. He said it would be wrong to try to isolate the world's second-largest economy. He stated that China's assistance was needed in areas such as climate change and economic instability.

"The UK's approach to China is to protect our institutions and infrastructure, ally themselves with partners, and communicate if it's in Britain's national interest," Cloverly said last Tuesday.

London is trying to improve its relationship with Beijing, but in recent weeks there has been anxiety about China's activities in the UK after it was revealed that a parliamentary researcher was arrested in March on suspicion of espionage for the country.

The Chinese Embassy in London has not been able to confirm whether China will attend the meeting.

Britain has appointed tech expert Matt Clifford and former senior diplomat Jonathan Black to lead the preparations for the meeting.

Clifford told Reuters last month he hoped this meeting would set a vote for future international debates over AI regulations.