US, UK Line Up Joint AI Safety Tests Under New Partnership to Secure Technology

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.K. Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan have signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of tests on cutting-edge artificial intelligence platforms. The MOU is a follow-through of the countries’ pledges at the AI Safety Summit that the United Kingdom hosted in November 2023, wherein Raimondo announced the establishment of the U.S. AI Safety Institute.

According to Donelan, the MOU underscores the shared U.S.-U.K. view that safe AI development is a global concern. Raimondo agrees with the British official and expects the partnership to accelerate the work of USAISI and its U.K. counterpart on addressing the full range of the technology’s risks on the national and societal levels.

The two countries’ AI safety institutes now plan at least one joint test on a public AI model to firm up their plans to develop a common approach to AI safety tests and to share capabilities in tackling the technology’s risks effectively, the U.S. Department of Commerce said Monday.  

The institutes are also planning personnel exchanges to harness their combined pool of expertise, the department added. It also disclosed the U.S. and the U.K.’s commitment to building AI safety partnerships with other countries to promote the technology’s global security. The USAISI declared earlier that the development of international alliances on securing AI use is one of its major goals.