The King has heralded artificial intelligence as an advance as big as the harnessing of fire but warned it must not destroy people’s privacy and livelihoods.
In a video message recorded for world leaders and played to them at the start of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park today/yesterday, he said: “We are witnessing one of the greatest technological leaps in the history of human endeavour.
“The rapid rise of powerful artificial intelligence is considered by many of the greatest thinkers of our age to be no less significant – no less important – than the discovery of electricity, the splitting of the atom, the creation of the world wide web, or even the harnessing of fire.”
He recorded the message at Buckingham Palace before heading to Kenya on a state visit with Queen Camilla this week.
He told those attending the summit, organised by the Prime Minister: “AI holds the potential to completely transform life as we know it to help us better treat, and perhaps even cure, conditions like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s; to hasten our journey towards net zero and realise a new era of potentially limitless clean, green energy – even just to help us make our everyday lives a bit easier.”
But he added: “However, if we are to realise the untold benefits of AI, then we must work together on combatting its significant risks too.
“AI continues to advance with ever-greater speed towards models that some predict could surpass human abilities – even human understanding.
“There is a clear imperative to ensure that this rapidly evolving technology remains safe and secure. And because AI does not respect international boundaries, this mission demands international coordination and collaboration.
“To support this global effort, the United Kingdom is proud to host this Summit, in Bletchley Park – the birthplace of modern computing, where Alan Turing famously cracked the Enigma code and laid the foundations for a new digital age.
“Transitions, like the one AI is heralding, always present profound challenges; especially in preparing for unintended consequences.
“It is incumbent on those with responsibility to meet these challenges: to protect people’s privacy and livelihoods, which are essential to both our economic and psychological well-being, to secure our democracies from harm, and to ensure the benefits of new technology are shared by all.”
The King, who has been keeping a close eye on developments in the field, said: “I have always believed in the importance of holding a conversation both within and across societies to address such great challenges; of bringing governments and the public sector together with civil society and the private sector in that conversation, adhering to the values, tenets of faith and laws that we all hold so dear.
That is how the international community has sought to tackle climate change, to light a path to net zero, and safeguard the future of our planet. We must similarly address the risks presented by AI with a sense of urgency, unity and collective strength.
“So, on behalf of the United Kingdom, I want to thank you all for the vital role you are playing in this shared endeavour – for laying the foundations of a lasting consensus on AI safety, and for ensuring that this immensely powerful technology is, indeed, a force for good in this world.”
