The United States and United Kingdom declined to sign the Paris AI summit’s declaration promoting “inclusive and sustainable” artificial intelligence, undermining efforts for a unified approach to development and regulation.
Neither nation provided immediate justification for abstaining from the agreement, which garnered support from 60 nations including Inida, China, Japan, Australia and Canada.
A spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister quoted by the the Associated Press acknowledged France as a key AI partner but emphasised that Britain would only endorse initiatives serving national interests. “You’d only ever expect us to sign up to initiatives that we judge to be in our national interest,” the spokesman told reporters.
However, in response to queries about the United Kingdom’s decision not to endorse the declaration and its possible connection to the United States’ stance, the spokesperson stated they had “not aware of the US reasons or position” regarding the declaration. The official refrained from speculating about American motivations behind the choice.
The rejection came following US Vice-President JD Vance’s critical address at the Grand Palais, where he denounced European “excessive regulation” of technology and warned against Chinese collaboration.
The declaration emphasises “ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all” and “making AI sustainable for people and the planet”.
French officials indicated additional nations might endorse the declaration post-event.
Vance’s speech, delivered before leaders, including co-chairs Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French PM Emmanuel Macron, addressed concerns about global AI regulation approaches. Keir Starmer was absent from the proceedings.
During his inaugural international visit as Vice-President, Vance cautioned against the EU’s regulatory stance, suggesting stringent AI sector oversight could impede innovation.
Vance also briefly criticised other EU measures, including the DSA and GDPR. Regarding the DSA’s social media regulations, he distinguished between protecting children from predators and restricting adult access to government-deemed misinformation.
The US VP also questioned excessive AI safety focus, seemingly critiquing the UK’s 2023 AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, suggesting such gatherings were overly cautious.
