Rishi Sunak said “guardrails” should be put in place to maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) while minimizing the risks to society.
The Prime Minister said UK regulations will need to evolve with the rapid advances in AI, with threats such as jobs and disinformation.
His comments come as BT Group said it would cut up to 55,000 jobs by the end of 2010 as it plans to shift to AI and automated services.
Sunak claims the technology’s benefits to national security and the economy, but concerns are mounting as the ChatGPT bot gains popularity.
Former government chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said AI could have the same impact on employment as the Industrial Revolution.
Earlier this month, Jeffrey Hinton, widely known as the Godfather of AI, warned when he left his job at Google that some of the dangers of AI chatbots were “very scary.”
Sunak told journalists accompanying him in Japan that he hoped discussions with world leaders on AI would continue at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
“There are clear benefits of artificial intelligence in economic growth, social transformation and improved public services if it is used safely,” he said.
“But like I said, it has to be done safely and reliably with guardrails in place and that is our regulatory approach.”
His comments show a hardened attitude towards AI.
A government policy document on the technology released less than two months ago was titled “Innovation-enhancing Approaches to AI Regulation.”
“There is recognition that AI is a problem that cannot be solved by one country acting unilaterally,” said an official spokesperson for the prime minister.
“The UK approach is meant to be agile and iterative by the nature of AI.
“The starting point for us is safety and making sure the public is comfortable with how AI is being used on their behalf.”
