UK and US sign pact to develop AI safety tests

The UK and US have signed a landmark agreement to collaborate on developing rigorous testing for advanced AI systems, representing a major step forward in ensuring their safe deployments.

The Memorandum of Understanding – signed Monday by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo – establishes a partnership to align the scientific approaches of both countries in rapidly iterating robust evaluation methods for cutting-edge AI models,...

2 April 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

IPPR: 8M UK careers at risk of ‘job apocalypse’ from AI

A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) sheds light on the potential impact of AI on the UK job market. The study warns of an imminent 'job apocalypse', threatening to engulf over eight million careers across the nation, unless swift government intervention is enacted.

The report identifies two key stages of generative AI adoption. The first wave, which is already underway, exposes 11 percent of tasks performed by UK workers. Routine cognitive tasks like...

27 March 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UN passes first global AI resolution

The UN General Assembly has adopted a landmark resolution on AI, aiming to promote the safe and ethical development of AI technologies worldwide.

The resolution, co-sponsored by over 120 countries, was adopted unanimously by all 193 UN member states on 21 March. This marks the first time the UN has established global standards and guidelines for AI.

The eight-page resolution calls for the development of "safe, secure, and trustworthy" AI systems that respect human rights...

22 March 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Pace of innovation in AI is fierce – but is ethics able to keep up?

If a week is traditionally a long time in politics, it is a yawning chasm when it comes to AI. The pace of innovation from the leading providers is one thing; the ferocity of innovation as competition hots up is quite another. But are the ethical implications of AI technology being left behind by this fast pace?

Anthropic, creators of Claude, released Claude 3 this week and claimed it to be a ‘new standard for intelligence’, surging ahead of competitors such as ChatGPT and...

7 March 2024 | Enterprise

UK Home Secretary sounds alarm over deepfakes ahead of elections

Criminals and hostile state actors could hijack Britain's democratic process by deploying AI-generated "deepfakes" to mislead voters, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly cautioned in remarks ahead of meetings with major tech companies. 

Speaking to The Times, Cleverly emphasised the rapid advancement of AI technology and its potential to undermine elections not just in the UK but globally. He warned that malign actors working on behalf of nations like Russia and Iran could generate...

26 February 2024 | Applications

Google pledges to fix Gemini’s inaccurate and biased image generation

Google's Gemini model has come under fire for its production of historically-inaccurate and racially-skewed images, reigniting concerns about bias in AI systems.

The controversy arose as users on social media platforms flooded feeds with examples of Gemini generating pictures depicting racially-diverse Nazis, black medieval English kings, and other improbable scenarios.

Google Gemini Image generation model receives criticism for being 'Woke'....

22 February 2024 | Applications

UK announces over £100M to support ‘agile’ AI regulation

The UK government has announced over £100 million in new funding to support an "agile" approach to AI regulation. This includes £10 million to prepare and upskill regulators to address the risks and opportunities of AI across sectors like telecoms, healthcare, and education. 

The investment comes at a vital time, as research from Thoughtworks shows 91% of British people argue that government regulations must do more to hold businesses accountable for their AI systems. The...

6 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI and Common Sense Media will promote safe AI use by families

OpenAI has announced a partnership with nonprofit Common Sense Media to educate families on responsible AI use. Leaders from both organisations shared the news onstage at the Common Sense Summit for America’s Kids and Families.

Through the collaboration, OpenAI and Common Sense aim to empower parents, educators, and teens to use AI tools safely and effectively.

Initial projects will include developing AI guidelines and educational materials tailored for different age...

30 January 2024 | Applications

OpenAI suspends developer of politician-impersonating chatbot

OpenAI has suspended the developer responsible for Dean.Bot, a ChatGPT-powered chatbot designed to impersonate Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips.

The bot, created by “cloning” startup Delphi, aimed to support Phillips in his political campaign. However, this move directly contradicts OpenAI's policies, leading to the suspension of the responsible developer.

The Washington Post reported that, despite displaying a disclaimer describing the nature of the...

22 January 2024 | Applications

IMF: AI could boost growth but worsen inequality

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that AI could boost global productivity and growth, but may displace jobs and worsen inequality.

In a new analysis, IMF economists examined AI's potential impact on the global labour market. While many studies foresee jobs being automated by AI, the technology will often complement human work instead. The IMF analysis weighs up both scenarios.  

The findings are striking: almost 40 percent of jobs globally are...

15 January 2024 | Artificial Intelligence