Discussions addressed the apprehension that, for the first time ever, AI presents itself as something that is far smarter than humans and how we are able to control this emerging piece of technology to ensure it is used in a safe and ethical way is unclear. 

The event brought together over 100 world leaders, tech bosses and academics including Elon Musk, Co-Founder of the ChatGPT developer OpenAI and Tesla Chief Executive, Mustafa Suleyman, the Co-Founder of DeepMind, Michelle Donelan, The UK technology secretary, Věra Jourová, The European Commission’s Vice-President for values and transparency and King Charles, all of which gave their view on the roadmap forward.

Potential risks that were discussed included breaches to privacy, cyberattacks and the displacement of jobs while investing more in AI risk management was highlighted to be a priority by the UK government. The Bletchley Declaration, signed by 28 countries, calls for global cooperation in tackling the risks and says AI must be kept safe, trustworthy and responsible.

What the experts said

Margo Waldorf, Founder at Change Awards, commented: “Road mapping the future of AI is essential for people and businesses, and it is essential that world leaders collaborate on the best route forward to both maximise AI’s potential while encouraging its safe development. AI is demanding change in the workplace and organisations must consider vital questions such as ‘How are we going to adopt AI?’ and ‘What do our employees need to do differently?’ in order to lead effective change management. We cannot forget about the human side of AI adoption, balancing how we can make AI work hand in hand with staff to maximise productivity.”

Tom Dunning, CEO of Ad Signal, commented: “Industry has been treating AI as the solution for every problem, adopting it into applications that don’t actually rely on AI to be efficient. Not only does this create the issue of regulation and control dominating the Bletchley Park Summit, but it also creates great danger for the environment. AI training, in particular, is causing significant environmental damage as it is by far the most power and cooling hungry aspect of AI, with estimates that a single AI model can emit over 284 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Sustainability and climate impact have to bear weight as part of global AI discussions.”

John Kirk, Deputy CEO for Inspired Thinking Group, commented: “The Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit is a positive step to planning the future of AI for businesses and we’d hope to see progress made towards its safe development and evolution. Generative AI, in particular, can support creative teams to produce a higher volume of content through asset creation and digital asset management, freeing marketers up to do what they love - be creative. Platforms such as Storyteq’s BrandCore can provide brands with an innovative AI-driven engine that provides marketers with secure, controllable AI that ensures brand compliance.“

Michelle Donelan, The UK technology secretary, said: “I really do think we need to change the conversation when it comes to jobs … What AI has the potential to do is actually reduce some of those tedious administrative part of our jobs, which is particularly impactful for doctors, our police force, our teachers.”

Elon Musk, Tesla chief executive, said: “I mean, for the first time, we have a situation where there’s something that is going to be far smarter than the smartest human. So, you know, we’re not stronger or faster than other creatures, but we are more intelligent. And here we are, for the first time really in human history, with something that’s going to be far more intelligent than us.”