Rishi’s warnings about human extinction this morning were spooky – Westminster’s think tanks are cautious on his Bletchley Park safety festival and the government’s AI policy. It’ll be a strange event… Kamala Harris is attending and Ursula von der Leyen’s apparently on the fence about turning up…
Matthew Lesh at the IEA says Rishi is “right to highlight the immense opportunities“, although “fear mongering risks setting fire to a nascent industry that has the potential to help solve some of our most intractable issues“. Don’t set up the guillotine too early…
Matthew Feeney of the CPS says Sunak “tried to give some reassurance that the government won’t rush to regulate AI which is welcome… However, businesses and entrepreneurs will need some certainty if they are to fully unlock the benefits of AI“.
The ASI’s Mimi Yates says the “announcement of more investment in British computer power will help the UK on its way to becoming the most agile place for researchers and start-ups to develop their businesses, as long as we also create favourable market conditions”. The invisible hand will do its work…
Allan Nixon from Onward, which has a report out today calling for tax breaks for AI startups, says the government “is right to put the UK at the forefront of global AI safety” with the caveat; “we must remember that AI is also a fantastic force for good if we harness it right“. Even the wets are playing the same tune…
For 30 years in the 19th century newly-invented motor cars were limited to 2mph and had to have a minimum of two operators plus a man waving a red flag 20ft in front to warn other road users. The wonks are telling Rishi not to make the same mistake…
