- Countries agree to work together on new report exploring how to accelerate AI adoption
- A new semiconductor group to deepen collaboration on R&D priorities and sustainable manufacturing
- AI toolkit to support secure and reliable deployment of AI throughout the public sector
G7 nations signed an agreement to unite and harness the innovation potential of AI to usher in a new era of global productivity and economic growth.
The Ministerial Declaration – which is the first of its kind – was signed on the last day of the Industry, Technology and Digital meeting of the G7 in Italy, and is another step in the Government’s plan to deliver the long-term changes our country needs to deliver a better future for Britain and improve economic security and opportunity for all.
Countries will commit to working on a new joint report exploring the factors driving the adoption of AI technology by companies, thereby helping to inform policy makers across the group. This is an effort that the UK has already launched at a national level through the AI Opportunity Forum, announced by the Prime Minister and which held its first meeting in February, bringing together some of the biggest names in technology and business such as Microsoft, Google and Vodafone.
The new report will improve G7the common understanding of technology collaboration, evaluating different policy approaches and proposing a set of recommendations that will help companies successfully deploy secure and reliable solutions. AI. It will be published by the end of the year.
AI deployment in the public sector is also highlighted as a key objective for the G7 in the declaration. To ensure that countries have the tools they need to deploy the technology needed to improve public services, a toolkit will be developed by the end of the Italian mandate. G7 presidency which will define practical principles to guarantee safe and trustworthy services. AI which can then be used to inform policy making. This will mean that AI can advance tailored public services that better meet the needs of citizens around the world.
The UK continues to consolidate its position as a world leader in safety and reliability. AIafter hosting the first major world summit on AI safety at Bletchley Park in November and thanks to the ongoing works of the AI Security Institute. Backed by initial funding of £100 million, the Institute is the world’s first public body dedicated to AI security, with the UK spending more money on AI security than any other country.
UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, said:
AI is already an extraordinary force for the good of our society, with vast potential to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. I am determined to continue our efforts to harness the enormous potential of these emerging technologies to unlock new opportunities and increase productivity.
By doing this in close collaboration with our G7 our partners add to the rich history we already share of improving the lives of citizens around the world, working together to address a common set of challenges. Our two days of discussions in Italy laid the foundations that will allow us to continue this work in the era of AI and emerging technologies, bringing transformative change through our shared expertise and innovation.
UK Minister for Technology and Digital Economy Saqib Bhatti said:
These two days of negotiations in Italy have been extremely productive and I am very encouraged by the agreements we have reached.
The UK has long been a leading voice on the global stage for greater collaboration in science, innovation and technology. Building on this agreement, we will continue to work side by side with our G7 partners to realize the enormous benefits of emerging technologies such as AI and Quantum can bring.
Today’s ministerial statement also calls for increased efforts to boost the growth of the international quantum sector, with upskilling of workers and an exchange of expertise between G7, academia and industry are at the heart of this effort. The important role of semiconductors in promoting the adoption of emerging technologies as well as the commitment to establish a new group of semiconductor touchpoints are also highlighted. This group will help countries share best practices on issues affecting the industry, such as research and development priorities and sustainable manufacturing.
The British delegation was led by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Minister Bhatti for the discussions which took place in Verona and Trento on March 14-15. As part of the meeting, Michelle Donelan also announced the launch of the international Horizon Europe campaign in Spain and Italy, as the UK works to strengthen its links with continental European researchers.
Italy and the United Kingdom share an enduring partnership in various aspects of science and technology. In AI The two countries alone have leveraged their respective expertise over the past 12 months through a dedicated researcher exchange program, managed by the Alan Turing Institute. More than 20 UK researchers have spent time at Italian universities through the scheme, which removes potential financial barriers by helping researchers cover their associated travel and accommodation costs.
The cooperation also extends further afield, with the UK and Italy being founding members of CERN, the European organization for nuclear research, with the two countries also working closely on the project to build the largest radio telescope in the world. world via the Square Kilometer Array Observatory. Italian and British researchers have also worked in partnership to bring potential HIV–AIDS vaccine in clinical trials via the European system AIDS Vaccine Initiative, sharing expertise to address one of the main global health challenges.
