UK and US Announce Partnership on Science of AI Safety

On 1 April 2024, the UK and US signed a memorandum of understanding on the science of AI safety. This partnership is the first of its kind and will see the two countries work together to assess risks and develop safety tests for the most advanced AI models.

Following their announcement of cooperation at the AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park last November, the UK and US have formally agreed to align their scientific approaches to AI safety testing, with plans to perform at least one joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible model. The partnership will take effect immediately and will see the two countries work together to tackle the safety risks posed by next-generation versions of AI. The agreement will facilitate collaboration between the UK AI Safety Institute (formed last November) and the US AI Safety Institute (which is still in its initial stages) and will include the sharing of vital information and research on the capabilities and risks associated with AI systems, together with the exchange of expertise through researcher secondments between the institutes.