British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday and hold a summit at the White House.
Washington:
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday lobbied for the UK to take a leading role in regulating artificial intelligence, after a compelling warning about the existential dangers of artificial intelligence.
Sunak, who is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, pledged generous aid to Ukraine after Russia was accused of blowing up a major dam to deter an apparent counterattack. bottom.
The intentional attack on Kakhovka Dam “will be the largest attack on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure since the start of the war and only marks a new low level that we will see from the Russian aggression,” Sunak said on the plane. rice field. London.
But while the U.S. and Britain are slowly getting closer with air support to Ukraine and a forceful approach to China, Mr. Sunak further criticized Mr. Biden about its post-Brexit ties to the rest of the world. You’re facing a tough sell.
The need for a coordinated response to AI was underscored by Matt Clifford, an adviser to the Downing Street task force, who warned that fast-learning systems could “destroy humanity” within two years.
In an interview on Talk TV, he said the world “needs to regulate globally because I don’t think it’s enough to regulate nationally.”
Sunak wants the future global AI regulator to be based in London, arguing the UK has the necessary technical expertise and scale, according to people familiar with the matter.
But things have taken a turn for the worse as the US held direct talks with the European Union on AI regulation in Japan last month, based on promises made by G7 leaders, including Sunak.
And Mr. Sunak, who meets with U.S. business leaders before Thursday’s summit, has given up for now on securing a post-Brexit trade deal with Mr. Biden’s government.
“Battlefield Advantage”
En route to Washington, the Prime Minister announced cumulative US investment in the UK of over £14 billion ($17 billion), some of which has already been implemented.
Sunak emphasized the US-UK military alliance, which is at the heart of NATO, and said the two countries’ economic ties should also be developed to protect Western democracy.
“By combining our country’s vast economic resources and expertise, we will grow our economy, create jobs, and keep our people safe into the future,” said a wealthy former banker who studied in the United States and moved to California. said the prime minister, who owns the property. .
“Just as interoperability between the militaries of both nations has given us a battlefield advantage over our adversaries, increased economic interoperability will be a crucial advantage for decades to come. will bring about
After Mr. Biden’s anti-inflation bill provided huge subsidies to U.S. companies, Mr. Sunak is seeking U.S. bailouts for British automakers through greater access to key minerals used in batteries.
On the NATO front, Sunak is reaching out to Defense Secretary Ben Wallace as the Western Alliance searches for a new secretary-general at next month’s summit in Lithuania.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the war in Ukraine will be on the main agenda,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, at the summit on Thursday.
“And the British are right there, literally leading the way when it comes to helping Ukraine,” he added.
“I have no doubt that they will discuss how they will work together in the future.”
no home run
Sunak will lay a wreath on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington before heading to the Capitol to meet with congressional leaders.
Afterwards, he plans to watch the Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on the second annual Anglo-American Friendship Day, which marks 238 years of diplomatic relations.
But an avid cricketer, Sunak avoided the opportunity to throw the first pitch at a baseball game and avoid blushing for a wrong pitch in front of a crowd of tens of thousands.
After a transatlantic dispute over trade and Northern Ireland, Mr. Snak wants Mr. Biden to get a better reputation than his controversial predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
“The relationship is very strong on the fundamentals, whether it’s defense, security or the development of China policy,” said Leslie Binjamuri, Americas program director at London think tank Chatham House.
But on specific issues such as AI and trade, Mr. Biden is unlikely to reveal much in the run-up to an election, he told AFP.
