The United Kingdom is set to receive early or priority access to AI models developed by global industry leaders, such as Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic. The announcement was made by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his speech at London Tech Week, a week-long festival for innovative thinkers and technology enthusiasts.
Sunak’s comments were part of a larger plan to ensure that AI systems in the UK are deployed safely and securely. The first step, according to Sunak, is to perform cutting-edge safety research in collaboration with these frontier labs. By giving early or priority access for research and safety purposes, the UK aims to better understand the opportunities and risks associated with AI systems.
The second step of the UK’s plan is to form a global alliance, as AI technologies don’t adhere to traditional national borders. This would involve a global task force that ensures AI is used ethically and responsibly across the world. The final step is to invest in both AI and quantum, in order to improve people’s lives. Sunak stated that the UK has already made significant investments of $1.125 billion and $2.75 billion in these fields.
However, it still remains unclear what kind of access the UK government will obtain and when it will be granted. Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic have offered limited previews of their large language models, such as Google’s Bard, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Anthropic’s Claude. If the UK receives earlier access to these models than the general public or contractors, it could provide the UK with a competitive edge in AI research and innovation.
The announcement comes at a critical time for the UK’s regulatory efforts. Along with AI, the UK government is also under pressure to regulate the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. As they work to develop comprehensive protections for citizens with regards to AI, they must also be mindful of ensuring that emerging technologies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sphere are adequately regulated.
Source: Cointelegraph
