Bletchley Declaration

Source: This post is based on the article “Bletchley Declaration” published in “Business standard” on Thursday November 2 2023.

Why in news ?

Twenty-nine countries such as the US, the UK, China, Australia, Brazil and India, along with the European union have agreed to work together to prevent “catastrophic harm, either deliberate or unintentional” which may arise from artificially intelligent computer models and engines.

What is Bletchley Declaration?

Central objective- The central objective of the Bletchley Declaration is to address risks and responsibilities associated with frontier AI in a comprehensive and collaborative manner.  The document emphasizes the necessity of aligning AI systems with human intent and urges a deeper exploration of AI’s full capabilities.

Member countries
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Saudi, Arabia, Netherlands, Nigeria, The Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European Union.

Significance

It was marked by an agreement which resolved to establish “a shared understanding of the opportunities and risks posed by frontier AI”. It includes: 

1) Identifying misuse: Acknowledgment of the substantial risks from potential intentional misuse or unintended issues of control of frontier AI — especially cybersecurity, biotechnology, and disinformation risks. 

2) Identifying risks: The declaration noted the potential for serious harm, deliberate or unintentional, stemming from the most significant capabilities of these AI models, as well as risks beyond frontier AI, including those of bias and privacy. 

3) Focusing on international cooperation: These risks are “best addressed through international cooperation”. As part of the agreement on international collaboration on frontier AI safety, future summits will be held annually.  

4) It highlights the importance of safeguarding human rights, transparency, explainability, fairness, accountability, regulation, safety, human oversight, ethics, bias mitigation, privacy, and data protection.

Challenges
• It reflects the complex negotiations between nations with conflicting interests and legal systems, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and China.

Upsc syllabus : GS 2-International relations