UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defends inviting Elon Musk to AI summit

livemint.com:

Elon Musk. The founder of Tesla and SpaceX is expected to attend the entire summit before his discussion with Sunak, which is set to be live-streamed, to contemplate the advancements and dangers of AI technology. Sunak, in an interview with POLITICO, has defended his choice to involve Musk, given the latter's long-standing emphasis on the need for AI regulation.

The British PM has argued that Musk’s dual perspective on AI's risks and benefits adds valuable insight to the conversation, leveraging Musk's extensive experience in the AI sector. "I think actually if you listen to what Elon Musk is saying, he's someone who for a long time has been talking about the potential risk of AI and its existential risks," Sunak told POLITICO's Power Play podcast. "But he also talks very passionately as he did today about the incredible benefits that AI can bring — and what I want to do is make sure people are reassured." Furthermore, Sunak noted the presence of over 100 delegations from various national, corporate and civil sectors, underlining the comprehensive nature of the summit.

Sunak’s commitment to addressing AI's societal impacts is also reflected in the UK's legislative response to digital safety concerns. Sunak cited the Online Safety Act, which empowers regulators to compel social platforms to eliminate harmful content, a move he considers to be at the forefront compared to actions taken by other countries. "That gives us and the regulators here the power to compel large social media companies to remove harmful or illegal content from their platforms," Sunak added.