The Importance of Including China in the UK’s Artificial Intelligence Summit

The upcoming artificial intelligence summit in the UK has sparked a debate about whether or not to invite China to the event. Excluding China from the summit would be a mistake for several reasons.

Firstly, the risks associated with AI systems are not confined to national borders. In order to effectively address these risks, international cooperation is crucial. If China is excluded from the event, any agreements made would be largely futile without their participation. For example, in the case of using generative AI to develop chemical weapons, if an agreement on best practices excludes China, people could simply use Chinese AI systems for malicious purposes.

Secondly, an international agreement that is seen to provide China with advantages would likely face pushback, particularly in the US. Previous attempts to regulate AI have been met with resistance due to fears of losing an “AI arms race” to China. Including China in the summit would help mitigate these concerns, as it would ensure that all parties are bound the same agreement.

Thirdly, while the US and UK have been slower to regulate AI, China has taken a proactive approach. The country has already implemented regulations specifically targeting generative AI. China’s regulatory experience would be invaluable in informing well-designed policies at the AI summit.

There are also other opportunities for “like-minded countries” to reach agreements on AI, such as the G7’s Hiroshima AI process. However, the UK’s AI summit presents a unique opportunity to bring China into the conversation. It is essential that this opportunity is seized in order to foster international cooperation and address the global challenges posed AI.

Source:
– Huw Roberts, University of Oxford, UK