UK, US Sign Agreement To Test AI Safety

The United Kingdom and the United States have signed a landmark agreement to work together on testing advanced artificial intelligence (AI).

The partnership announcement will see the UK and US AI Safety Institutes to work seamlessly with each other, partnering on research, safety evaluations, and guidance for AI safety

It comes after last year’s AI Safety Summit where companies including Amazon, Google, Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Microsoft and ChatGPT developer OpenAI agreed to voluntary safety testing for AI systems, in the so called Bletchley Declaration.

AI Safety

That agreement was backed by the EU and 10 countries including China, Germany, France, Japan, the UK and the US.

British Prime minister Rishi Sunak stated last year that he wants the UK to be the “geographical home” of coordinated international efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI).

Now the UK and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will see them work together to develop tests for the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models.

The agreement was signed by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Tthe partnership will see both countries working to align their scientific approaches and working closely to accelerate and rapidly iterate robust suites of evaluations for AI models, systems, and agents, the government stated.

It comes after the UK and US AI Safety Institutes have laid out plans to build a common approach to AI safety testing and to share their capabilities to ensure these risks can be tackled effectively. They intend to perform at least one joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible model. They also intend to tap into a collective pool of expertise by exploring personnel exchanges between the Institutes.

The partnership will take effect immediately and is intended to allow both organisations to work seamlessly with one another.

Landmark moment

“This agreement represents a landmark moment, as the UK and the United States deepen our enduring special relationship to address the defining technology challenge of our generation,” said UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Michelle Donelan.

“We have always been clear that ensuring the safe development of AI is a shared global issue,” said Donelan. “Only by working together can we address the technology’s risks head on and harness its enormous potential to help us all live easier and healthier lives.”

“The work of our two nations in driving forward AI safety will strengthen the foundations we laid at Bletchley Park in November, and I have no doubt that our shared expertise will continue to pave the way for countries tapping into AI’s enormous benefits safely and responsibly,” Donelan concluded.

“AI is the defining technology of our generation,” added United States Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo. “This partnership is going to accelerate both of our Institutes’ work across the full spectrum of risks, whether to our national security or to our broader society.”

“Our partnership makes clear that we aren’t running away from these concerns – we’re running at them,” said Raimondo. “Because of our collaboration, our Institutes will gain a better understanding of AI systems, conduct more robust evaluations, and issue more rigorous guidance.

“By working together, we are furthering the long-lasting special relationship between the US and UK and laying the groundwork to ensure that we’re keeping AI safe both now and in the future,” said Raimondo.

The agreement will also see both countries sharing vital information about the capabilities and risks associated with AI models and systems, as well as fundamental technical research on AI safety and security.