US and UK Join Forces on AI Safety Standards: Can Global Cooperation Ensure Ethical AI?

The United States and the United Kingdom have joined forces in an agreement to establish safety standards for artificial intelligence (AI). This collaboration, announced through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on April 1, aims to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI technologies.

U.S.-U.K. Collaboration Advances Joint Testing and Security Research for AI Models

As part of the agreement, both nations plan to conduct at least one joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible AI model. This initiative will facilitate the development of robust evaluation methods for AI models, systems, and agents. Additionally, the partnership includes the exchange of personnel between established AI Safety Institutes in the US and the UK.

The US Department of Commerce and the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology simultaneously announced this partnership through identical press releases, underlining their commitment to collaborative efforts in AI safety.

U.S. and U.K. Join Forces to Enhance AI Cooperation, Address Risks, and Foster Global Safe Development

Gina Raimondo, US Commerce Secretary, described AI as the defining technology of the current era and emphasized the partnership's proactive approach towards addressing various risks associated with AI, ranging from national security to societal implications.

Michelle Donelan, UK Technology Secretary, hailed the agreement as a landmark moment and stressed the global significance of pursuing safe AI development. She highlighted the urgency of the partnership, especially considering the imminent release of new AI models with potentially transformative capabilities.

Addressing Information Exchange

Donelan also pointed out the dominance of US-based AI companies and emphasized the importance of information exchange between these companies and the government for effective AI regulation and oversight.

U.S.-U.K. Collaboration Deepens Commitment to AI Safety, Responding to Global Regulatory Challenges

This collaboration builds upon previous commitments to AI safety made during the UK’s AI Safety Summit in November 2023. The broader commitment to AI safety is part of the Bletchley Declaration, a policy paper endorsed by participating countries.

This collaboration follows the completion of goals outlined in the Biden Administration’s executive order in the US, which included the appointment of chief AI officers across all federal agencies on March 28. Additionally, the UK introduced its approach to local AI regulation in February.