UK AI Safety Institute Will Open Offices In The US To Increase International Collaboration

British Technology Minister Michele Donelan. (photo: x @michelledonelan)

JAKARTA - The UK's Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will open offices in the United States, hoping to encourage greater international collaboration in this fast-growing technology regulation.

British officials say the new institute office in San Francisco will open this summer, by recruiting a team of technical staff to complete the organization's work in London and strengthen ties with its US partners.

Some experts have warned that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity that is comparable to nuclear weapons or climate change, thus stressing the need for greater international coordination in this technology regulation.

The announcement of the institute comes days before the second global AI safety summit, which will be jointly organized by the UK and South Korean governments in Seoul this week.

Shortly after Microsoft-backed OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public in November 2022, thousands of worried observers including Tesla Mogul Elon Musk signed an open letter calling for a six-month gap in AI development, warning of unpredictable threats.

A year later, the first AI safety summit was held at Bletchley Park, England, where world leaders and high-level business executives including US Vice President Kamala Harris and Sam Altman from OpenAI joined academics to discuss how best to manage AI.

Technological leaders exchanged views with some of their sharp critics, while China signed a Blitchley Declaration with the US and others, signaling a willingness to work together despite tensions rising with the West.

"Opening our doors overseas and building our alliance with the US is at the heart of my plans to set new international standards in AI safety, which we will discuss at the Seoul summit this week," said British Technology Minister Michele Donelan.