G7 nations have signed an agreement to unite and harness the innovative potential of AI to usher in a new era of global productivity and economic growth.
The Ministerial Declaration – which is the first of its kind – was signed on the last day of the Industry Tech and Digital meeting of the G7 in Italy, and is yet another step in the government’s plan to deliver the long-term change our country needs to deliver a brighter future for Britain, and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.
It will see countries commit to work on a new joint report exploring the factors behind the uptake of AI tech by businesses, helping inform policy makers across the grouping. This is an effort the UK has already kickstarted domestically through the AI Opportunity Forum, which was announced by the Prime Minister and held its first meeting in February, bringing together some of the biggest names in tech and business such as Microsoft, Google, and Vodafone.
The new report will improve the G7’s shared understanding of tech collaboration, assessing different approaches to policy and offering a set of recommendations which will support companies to successfully roll out safe and trustworthy AI. It will be published by the end of the year.
AI deployment in the public sector is also highlighted as a critical focus for the G7 in the declaration. To ensure countries have the tools they need to roll out the technology to improve public services, a toolkit will be developed by the end of Italy’s G7 Presidency which will set out practical principles for safe and trustworthy AI which can then be used to inform policy making. This will mean that AI can drive forward tailored public services which better serve the needs of citizens across the globe.
The UK continues to cement its place as world leader in safe and trustworthy AI, after hosting the world’s first major summit on AI safety at Bletchley Park in November, and through the ongoing work of the AI Safety Institute. Backed by an initial £100 million in funding, the Institute is the world’s first state-backed body dedicated to AI safety, with the UK having spent more money on AI safety than any other country.
