Kenya Leads Africa's Participation in The International AI Safety Network Launch

The AI safety institutes and government mandated offices that facilitate AI safety and evaluation from Australia, Canada, the European Commission, France, Japan, Kenya (only African country), the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, gathered in San Francisco on November 21, 2024 to launch the International Network of AI Safety Institutes. 
PHOTO: Attendees during the launch of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes

Affirming and building on the Seoul Statement of Intent toward International Cooperation on AI Safety Science released at the AI Seoul Summit on May 21, 2024, this Network is intended to catalyze a new phase of international cooperation on AI safety. Kenya was ably represented by Special Envoy on Technology, Office of the President, Amb. Phillip Thigo who noted that AI has immense potential, but its safe and responsible use requires a strong international ecosystem. 

Beyond mitigating risks, these institutes and offices play a crucial role in guiding the responsible development and deployment of AI systems. AI presents enormous opportunities - the ability to serve societal needs and transform and enhance human wellbeing, peace, and prosperity – as well as potential global risks. International cooperation to promote AI safety, security, inclusivity, and trust is essential to address those risks, drive responsible innovation, and expand access to the benefits of AI worldwide.
PHOTO: Amb. Phillip Thigo during a plenary session in San Francisco 

A statement released by the Network read in part as follows, “Recognizing the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity, we aim to facilitate a common technical understanding of AI safety risks and mitigations based upon the work of our institutes and of the broader scientific community that will support international development and the adoption of interoperable principles and best practices.” 

The network also aims to to encourage a general understanding of and approach to AI safety globally, that will enable the benefits of AI innovation to be shared amongst countries at all stages of development. The convening is structured as a technical working meeting that will address three high-priority topics that stand to urgently benefit from international coordination, specifically: managing risks from synthetic content, testing foundation models, and conducting risk assessments for advanced AI systems. 

While recognizing that the science of AI risk assessment continues to evolve and that each Network member operates within its own unique context, the International Network of AI Safety Institutes agreed to establish a shared scientific basis for risk assessments, building on six key aspects outlined by the Network – namely, that risk assessments should be actionable, transparent, comprehensive, multi-stakeholder, iterative, and reproducible

By bringing together the leading minds across governments, industry, academia, and civil society, we hope to kickstart meaningful international collaboration on AI safety and innovation, particularly as we work toward the upcoming AI Action Summit in France in February and beyond.

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