Sunak and Google’s CEO discuss finding “the right balance” in AI regulation
Ishi Sunak met with Google’s CEO to talk about the “right balance” between artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and innovation, Downing Street said.
The PM spoke to Sundar Pichai, also head of Google’s parent company Alphabet, about the importance of ensuring the right “guard rails” are in place to ensure tech security, No.10 said.
A similar meeting follows between Mr Sunak and AI leaders on the need for regulation to guard against potential threats ranging from disinformation and national security to “existential threats”.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister met Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet – Google’s parent company – at the Government’s Darlington Economic Campus.
“The Prime Minister thanked Mr Pichai for Google’s role at the heart of the UK’s tech ecosystem and spoke about growth opportunities in the industry.
“With artificial intelligence, they talked about finding the right balance of making sure the right regulatory guardrails are in place while driving innovation.
They discussed possible opportunities for industrial and international cooperation on safe and responsible AI development and agreed to keep in touch on the topic
“They discussed possible opportunities for industrial and international cooperation on safe and responsible AI development and agreed to stay in touch on the topic.”
Mr. Sunak has advocated the technology’s benefits to national security and the economy, but concerns are growing given the growing importance of the ChatGPT bot.
In addition to the issues discussed by Mr. Sunak and technology representatives, jobs are also threatened by rapidly evolving technology.
Last week BT Group said it would shed up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade as it looks to move to AI and automated services.
The government’s former chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, has warned that AI could have an impact on jobs comparable to that of the industrial revolution.
Earlier this month, Geoffrey Hinton, the man widely credited as the godfather of AI, warned that some of the dangers of AI chatbots are “pretty scary” as he quit his job at Google.
Mr. Sunak has sharpened his tone towards AI. The government’s strategy paper on this technology, published less than two months ago, was titled: “An innovation-friendly approach to AI regulation”.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/google-prime-minister-ceo-downing-street-bt-group-b1084080.html Sunak and Google’s CEO discuss finding “the right balance” in AI regulation
