Governments agree AI could cause potentially 'catastrophic' harm to humanity
The declaration is set to provide a template for international collaboration. Picture: File
Ireland, Britain, the US, EU, and China have all agreed that artificial intelligence poses a potentially catastrophic risk to humanity, in the first international declaration to deal with the fast-emerging technology.
In all, 28 governments have signed up to the so-called Bletchley declaration on the first day of the AI safety summit, hosted by the British government.
The declaration says: “There is potential for serious, even catastrophic, harm, either deliberate or unintentional, stemming from the most significant capabilities of these AI models.”
It is expected the declaration will provide a template for international collaboration in the future, with future safety summits now planned in South Korea in six months’ time and in France in a year.
Attending on Ireland’s behalf, Minister of State Dara Calleary said there are huge opportunities and risks with AI.
“By taking a person-centred, ethical, and transparent approach I believe we can mitigate those risks and use AI to the benefit of the economy and society,” he said.
So far, however, there is little international agreement over what a global set of AI regulations might look like or who should draw them up. At European level, an Artificial Intelligence Act is being negotiated by EU member states.
Under the plans, there would be practices prohibited around AI, including those with an unacceptable level of risk to people’s safety.
It comes as an Oireachtas committee here said the potential for AI-driven “constant monitoring” of people in their jobs means new measures to provide transparency in the workplace are essential.
It said this monitoring is a "significant shift" that had been occurring "extensively and without much public acknowledgement".
The Oireachtas Enterprise Committee has recommended that enhanced safeguards in legislation are considered for consumers against “digital manipulation” due to the potential harmful impact that artificial intelligence could have in the future.
“Use of AI in the workplace is expected to result in the elimination of many jobs," said committee chair Maurice Quinlivan.
The committee also recommended that a dedicated Oireachtas Committee of TDs and senators on artificial intelligence should be established to look at all implications of AI into the future.
