Rishi Sunak Wants the U.K. to Be a Key Player in Global AI Regulation

During Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's recent visit to Washington D.C., as he announced that the U.K. would host the first global summit on AI regulation later this year, he bristled in response to a reporter's question about whether the "midsize country" could naturally lead the debate, given that the E.U. is close to passing a landmark AI bill. "That midsize country happens to be a global leader in AI," he said. "You would be hard-pressed to find many other countries other than the U.S. in the Western world with more expertise and talent in AI." The Prime Minister's response revealed the dilemma he now faces in positioning the U.K. as a key player in reining in AI's potential negative consequences without stifling innovation, amid growing fears around generative artificial intelligence. Following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union, experts say Sunak is attempting to carve out a pivotal role to help keep the country globally relevant by playing the role of an "honest broker" between the different regulatory approaches of the E.U. and the U.S. when it comes to AI.