Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, speaks at the London Tech Week conference in London, UK, on Monday, June 12, 2023. Credit: Getty Images / Carlos Jasso / Bloomberg

UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, today (June 12) told technology leaders that he wants Britain to be the global centre for artificial intelligence (AI), as part of a recent push from the PM to solidify the UK as a driving force for the emerging tech.

Addressing London Tech Week, Sunak said: “Already we’ve seen AI help the paralysed to walk and discover superbug-killing antibiotics – and that’s just the beginning.

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“The possibilities are extraordinary. But we must – and we will – do it safely.”

The prime minister claimed that he didn’t want the UK to just be the “intellectual home” of AI, but also the “geographical home of global AI safety regulation”.

Sunak has consistently stressed his view that the UK needs to be at the forefront of AI innovation – and his speech today demonstrated this commitment.

“We must act, and act quickly, if we want not only to retain our position as one of the world’s tech capitals but to go even further and make this the best country in the world to start, grow and invest in tech businesses,” Sunak said.

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Adding: “That is my goal and I feel a sense of urgency and responsibility to make sure that we seize it.”

The address comes after the prime minister announced that the UK will be hosting the world’s first global summit on AI safety, during a visit to the US last week.

Sunak’s push for AI dominance comes as tech bosses and experts around the world continue to speak out about the need for stronger regulation in AI.

Last month, the Centre for AI Safety, a US-based non-profit, released a 22-word statement explaining the fatal threat AI possesses.

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from artificial intelligence should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” it read.

The letter was signed by industry heavyweights including OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, and Google DeepMind CEO, Demis Hassabis.

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