South Korea and the United Kingdom will jointly host the second global AI summit in Seoul this week, reflecting the rapid evolution since the inaugural summit in November. With governments striving to address an expanding array of risks linked with AI technology, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will oversee a virtual summit on Tuesday.
In a joint opinion article published in the UK’s i newspaper and South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo, titled ‘Only global AI standards can stop a race to the bottom’, Sunak and Yoon highlighted the necessity for improved regulation amidst ongoing debates on the impact of AI on humanity.
Originally known as the AI Safety Summit, the event in November has since transformed into the AI Seoul Summit, with a focus on three key priorities: AI safety, innovation, and inclusion.
A global AI safety report released on Friday underscored the widening spectrum of risks associated with AI technology, ranging from existential threats to societal issues such as AI inequality and environmental concerns due to energy-intensive AI data centers.
While the November summit hosted by the UK witnessed the participation of prominent figures including Elon Musk and leaders from China, the attendee list for the upcoming virtual summit remains uncertain.
Additionally, a separate AI forum hosted by South Korea on Wednesday is expected to feature industry leaders from companies such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Microsoft, Meta, and IBM.
