The ambitious plans were announced this week by President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio following Kishida’s Official Visit to the White House.

While the leaders affirmed their commitment across a broad range of areas including defence, climate, development, and humanitarian efforts, the new technology collaborations took centre stage and underscore how the US-Japan alliance is evolving into a comprehensive global partnership underpinned by innovation.

AI takes centre stage

One of the headline initiatives is a $110 million partnership between the University of Washington, University of Tsukuba, Carnegie Mellon University, and Keio University. Backed by tech giants like NVIDIA, Arm, Amazon, and Microsoft—as well as Japanese companies—the program aims to solidify US-Japan leadership in cutting-edge AI research and development.

The US and Japan also committed to supporting each other in establishing national AI Safety Institutes and pledged future collaboration on interoperable AI safety standards, evaluations, and risk management frameworks.

In a bid to mitigate AI risks, the countries vowed to provide transparency around AI-generated and manipulated content from official government channels. Technical research and standards efforts were promised to identify and authenticate synthetic media.

Quantum leaps

Quantum technology featured prominently, with the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) partnering with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) to build robust quantum supply chains.

Trilateral cooperation between the University of Chicago, University of Tokyo, and Seoul National University was also announced to train a quantum workforce and bolster competitiveness.  

The US and Japan additionally welcomed new commercial deals including Quantinuum providing Japan’s RIKEN institute with $50 million in quantum computing services over five years.

Several semiconductor initiatives were unveiled such as potential cooperation between Japan’s Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC) with the US National Semiconductor Technology Center and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program. The countries pledged to explore joint semiconductor workforce development initiatives through technical workshops.

Other announced commercial deals spanned cloud computing, telecommunications, batteries, robotics, biotechnology, finance, transportation and beyond—highlighting how the alliance is fusing public and private efforts.

Developing humans

Initiatives around STEM education exchanges, technology curriculums, entrepreneur programs, and talent circulation efforts emphasised the focus on developing human capital to power the coming wave of digital innovation.

While the technological breakthroughs grab attention, the proliferation of initiatives aimed at training, exchanging, and nurturing the innovators, researchers, and professionals across these domains could prove just as vital. The US and Japan appear determined to strategically develop and leverage human resources in lockstep with their efforts to establish cutting-edge AI, quantum, chip, and other advanced tech capabilities.

Both nations clearly recognise that building complementary ecosystems across vital technologies is essential to bolstering competitiveness, economic prosperity, and national security in an era of intensifying strategic competition.

(Photo by Tong Su)

See also: Microsoft AI opens London hub to access ‘enormous pool’ of talent

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

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Kathy Sullivan – a prominent New Hampshire Democrat and former state party chair – is calling for the prosecution of those responsible, describing the incident as “an attack on democracy.”

The call began with a dismissive “What a bunch of malarkey,” a phrase that’s become associated with the 81-year-old president. It then went on to discourage voting in the primary, suggesting that Democrats should save their votes for the November election.

Sullivan, an attorney, believes the call may violate several laws and is determined to uncover the individuals behind it. New Hampshire attorney general, John Formella, has urged voters to disregard the call’s contents.

The robocall controversy has sparked an investigation, with NBC News releasing a recording of the call. Sullivan’s phone number was included in the message, raising concerns about privacy and potential harassment.

This incident comes amid a wider debate about the use of AI in political campaigns. OpenAI recently suspended the developer of a ChatGPT-powered bot called Dean.Bot that mimicked Democratic candidate Dean Phillips.

As concerns about AI manipulation in elections grow, advocacy groups like Public Citizen are pushing for federal regulation. A petition from Public Citizen calls on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to regulate AI use in campaign ads. The FEC chair, Sean Cooksey, acknowledged the issue but stated that resolving it might take until early summer.

The deepfake call and politician-impersonating chatbot has intensified calls for swift action to address the potential chaos AI could cause in elections. With state lawmakers also considering bills to tackle this practice, the incident raises questions about the vulnerability of democratic processes to AI manipulation in a crucial election year.

(Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash)

See also: OpenAI launches GPT Store for custom AI assistants

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

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The post AI-generated Biden robocall urges Democrats not to vote appeared first on AI News.

The decision comes after meetings between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, Congress, and business leaders.

“AI has an incredible potential to transform our lives for the better. But we need to make sure it is developed and used in a way that is safe and secure,” explained Sunak.

“No one country can do this alone. This is going to take a global effort. But with our vast expertise and commitment to an open, democratic international system, the UK will stand together with our allies to lead the way.”

The UK government believes that the country is the natural place to lead discussions due to hosting Europe’s largest AI industry, which is only behind the US and China on the world stage. 

The AI industry in the UK employs over 50,000 people and contributes more than £3.7 billion to the country’s economy. US tech giant Palantir announced today it will make the UK its new European HQ for AI development.

“We are proud to extend our partnership with the United Kingdom, where we employ nearly a quarter of our global workforce,” said Alexander C. Karp, CEO of Palantir.

“London is a magnet for the best software engineering talent in the world, and it is the natural choice as the hub for our European efforts to develop the most effective and ethical artificial intelligence software solutions available.”

The urgency to evaluate AI risks stems from increasing concerns about the potential existential threats posed by this technology. Earlier this week, an AI task force adviser to the UK prime minister issued a stark warning: AI will threaten humans in two years.

McKinsey, a global consulting firm, predicts that between 2016 and 2030, AI-related advancements could impact approximately 15 percent of the global workforce, potentially displacing 400 million workers worldwide. In response, global regulators are racing to establish new rules and regulations to mitigate these risks.

“The Global Summit on AI Safety will play a critical role in bringing together government, industry, academia and civil society, and we’re looking forward to working closely with the UK Government to help make these efforts a success,” said Demis Hassabis, CEO of UK-headquartered Google DeepMind.

The attendees of the upcoming summit have not been announced yet, but the UK government plans to bring together key countries, leading tech companies, and researchers to establish safety measures for AI.

Prime Minister Sunak aims to ensure that AI is developed and utilised in a manner that is safe and secure while maximising its potential to benefit humanity.

Sridhar Iyengar, MD of Zoho Europe, commented:

“Earlier this year, the whitepaper released in the UK highlighted the numerous advantages of artificial intelligence, emphasising its potential as a valuable tool for enhancing business operations.

With the government’s ongoing ambition to position the UK as a science and technology superpower by 2030, and coupled with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt reiterating his vision of making the UK the ‘next Silicon Valley’, the UK’s leading input here could be extremely helpful in achieving these goals.”

Iyengar emphasised the advantages of AI and its potential to enhance various aspects of business operations, from customer service to fraud detection, ultimately improving business efficiencies.

However, Iyengar stressed the need for a global regulatory framework supported by public trust to fully harness the power of AI and achieve optimal outcomes for all stakeholders.

The European Union is already working on an Artificial Intelligence Act but it could take up to two-and-a-half years to come into effect. China, meanwhile, has also started drafting AI regulations, including proposals to require companies to notify users when an AI algorithm is being used.

These ongoing efforts highlight the global recognition of the need for comprehensive regulations and guidelines to manage AI’s impact effectively.

“To fully harness the power of AI and ensure optimal outcomes for all stakeholders, a global regulatory framework supported by public trust is essential,” added Iyengar.

“As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, adopting a unified approach to regulations becomes crucial.”

The UK’s decision to host a global AI safety measure summit demonstrates its commitment to proactively addressing the risks associated with AI. As the world grapples with the challenges posed by AI, global cooperation and unified regulatory approaches will be vital to shaping the future of this transformative technology.

(Image Credit: No 10 Downing Street)

Related: AI leaders warn about ‘risk of extinction’ in open letter

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week.

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