Why in news?

Amid concerns over regulating AI without stifling innovation, global leaders will meet in Paris on February 10 for a two-day AI Action Summit.

This builds on the 2023 AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park, which focused on "doomsday" concerns and resulted in 25 states, including the US and China, signing the Bletchley Declaration on AI Safety.

Additionally, the 2024 Seoul summit saw 16 leading AI companies voluntarily commit to transparent AI development.

What’s in today’s article?

• 2023 Bletchley Declaration
• 2024 AI Seoul Summit
• Paris AI Summit
• Paris Summit and Europe's AI Challenge
• Diverse Approaches to AI Regulation

2023 Bletchley Declaration

• The UK-hosted AI Safety Summit led 28 countries and the EU to adopt the Bletchley Declaration, addressing AI's promises and risks.
• It emphasizes aligning AI with human intent, safeguarding rights, and ensuring safety, ethics, and accountability.
• It highlights civil society's role and developers' responsibility for testing and mitigating AI risks.

2024 AI Seoul Summit

• The 2024 AI Seoul Summit was a two-day event that took place in May 2024.
• The summit was co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and the UK government.
• The summit's goal was to advance global discussions on AI safety, innovation, and inclusivity.
• The summit confirmed a shared understanding of the opportunities and risks posed by AI.
• It set minimum guardrails for AI use.
• It established a roadmap for ensuring AI safety.

About Paris AI Summit

• The Paris AI Summit, an initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, focuses on global AI governance, innovation, and advancing public interest.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will co-chair the summit and has accepted the invitation to attend.
• Key Objectives
  • The summit aims to tackle the concentration of power in the AI market, particularly concerning foundational models controlled by companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta.
• Event Structure
  • February 10 – Multistakeholder Forum:
    • This forum will bring together global representatives from governments, businesses, civil society, researchers, artists, and journalists.
    • Activities include conferences, round tables, and presentations, focusing on AI-driven solutions.
  • February 11 – Summit of Heads of State and Government:
    • Leaders will convene at the Grand Palais to discuss key collaborative actions for AI governance.

Paris Summit and Europe's AI Challenge

• The Paris AI Summit is crucial for Europe as AI development is increasingly seen as a race dominated by American tech giants and Chinese state power.
• French President Emmanuel Macron’s personal initiative underscores Europe’s need to compete in this field.
  • Many reports have highlighted European red tape and regulatory barriers hindering its tech sector's growth.
  • Brussels is perceived as lagging behind, with limited chances of catching up.
• US AI Ambitions
  • The summit follows Washington’s announcement of the Stargate Project, a $500 billion initiative involving OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, Microsoft, and Nvidia to build cutting-edge AI infrastructure.
  • This major investment highlights the US’s commitment to dominating AI capabilities over the next four years.
• China’s Rapid AI Advancements
  • China’s significant AI progress remains a key topic of concern.
  • Despite US efforts to curtail its advancements, Chinese firms like DeepSeek have demonstrated cost-effective foundational AI models that rival OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model in math, coding, and reasoning benchmarks.
  • Similarly, Alibaba released a new AI model, reportedly comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-o1 series, showcasing China's competitive edge in AI development.

Diverse Approaches to AI Regulation

• Policymakers worldwide have intensified regulatory scrutiny of generative AI, focusing on three key concerns: privacy, system bias, and intellectual property violations.
• However, their approaches differ significantly.
• European Union: Strict and Use-Based Regulation
  • The EU has proposed a stringent regulatory framework that categorizes AI based on its use case, degree of invasiveness, and associated risks, reflecting its cautious stance on AI governance.
• United Kingdom: Light-Touch Approach
  • UK has adopted a more lenient, innovation-friendly approach, emphasizing minimal regulatory barriers to foster growth in this emerging field.
• United States: Balanced but Shifting
  • The US approach has been moderate, positioned between strict regulation and innovation promotion.
  • However, recent developments could lead to further deregulation.
• China: Structured Measures for Control
  • China has introduced its own regulatory measures, balancing AI advancements with oversight, particularly in areas critical to state interests.
• India: Emphasis on Safety and Trust
  • India advocates for AI to ensure safety, trust, and ethical use, while also recognizing its transformative potential.
  • The government emphasizes addressing the "weaponization" of technologies like social media to create a secure digital landscape.