Davey calls for AI ‘pause’ as Burnham inks US-UK tech deal

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey called for an international treaty to "press pause on super-intelligent AI" and proposed a new "International AI Safety Agency" modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying the problem is "fundamentally one about power." Davey's speech to Lib Dem conference members on Tuesday came as Andy Burnham announced a US-UK defence partnership on AI and autonomy during his New York visit for the United Nations General Assembly, a deal Davey said did not "come close to meeting the scale of this threat." The debate follows former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon's warning that developers were "gambling with our lives," which Anthropic chief Dario Amodei and X owner Elon Musk endorsed while Nvidia chief Jensen Huang dismissed the idea of AI-driven human extinction within years.

Davey calls for AI ‘pause’ as Burnham inks US-UK tech deal Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the government to spearhead a treaty that would “press pause on super-intelligent AI” just as Andy Burnham unveiled a deal with President Trump to advance engagement on the technology. Davey is set to tell party members on Tuesday that the UK could be home to an international agency preventing the “reckless” development of AI. His speech at the Lib Dems https://www.cityam.com/the-government-arent-the-experts-liberal-democrats-vow-to-push-back-controversial-pension-schemes-bill/ ’ conference coincides with the Prime Minister’s promise to make AI a “force for good” and the announcement of a new partnership between the US and the UK to use the technology to “protect critical infrastructure” including air space and shipping routes. Davey said Burnham’s deal, announced on his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, did not “come close to meeting the scale of this threat” and made the UK “more dependent on a Trump administration in the pocket of the tech bros”. Davey says AI is a problem ‘about power’ His proposal to create a new “International AI Safety Agency” would be modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency, which regulates global nuclear powers and the use of nuclear energy. Davey’s criticism of AI is the strongest by any top political leader in the UK. Downing Street separately said Burnham’s speech to UN members on Tuesday evening would focus on AI as he would argue that the tech could drive down the cost of living and support a “more stable and secure” world. During his speech on Tuesday, Davey will say that a global treaty to halt the development of artificial superintelligence was a “liberal solution” to address power imbalances in technology. “The problem is fundamentally one about power,” Davey will say. “It’s too concentrated, and we must break it up.” His comments jar against former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s https://www.cityam.com/tony-blair-warns-leaders-to-resist-growing-ai-techlash/ pushback against the “techlash” over AI. A report by his eponymous institute said on Monday that slowing AI development would add to costs for growth and national security. The debate over AI’s progress was triggered by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who said developers were “gambling with our lives”. Anthropic boss Dario Amodie and X owner Elon Musk were among those who agreed that AI development should slow down https://www.cityam.com/why-are-the-ai-chiefs-calling-for-a-slowdown/ while Nvidia boss Jensen Huang dismissed suggestions that AI could lead to human extinction within years. Davey’s warnings on AI will be one of a string of issues that he will highlight in a speech that aims to show “being a liberal is about empowering the powerless, and holding the already-powerful to account”. Burnham is set to say that the UK could bring the world’s most powerful leaders together to ensure AI “is harnessed for good to make our countries safer and stronger”. “That ambition is underlined in our new defence partnership with the United States on AI and autonomy, bringing together the brightest minds to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, deter those who threaten our security, and use the enormous potential of AI to our advantage.” Britain is already home to the AI Security Institute https://www.aisi.gov.uk/ .