UK PM Rishi Sunak to have one-on-one meeting with Elon Musk after London’s AI Summit

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to engage in a live-streamed conversation with tech mogul Elon Musk after the culmination of the AI summit scheduled for Thursday. This engagement with Musk, the influential figure behind the social media platform X, aims to lend a touch of stardom to an event that Sunak hopes will play a pivotal role in shaping regulations for the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.

The announcement of this discussion was made by Sunak on Monday, and it is scheduled to take place on Musk’s social media platform, X. Government officials close to the Prime Minister’s office have lauded this event as a testament to the growing influence of the summit, which is planned to be held at the historic Bletchley Park, the renowned hub of Britain’s World War II codebreakers.

While three UK government officials expressed their anticipation that Musk would also participate in the summit at Bletchley Park, the billionaire has not made any public confirmation regarding his attendance. Notably, neither Musk nor representatives from X and Tesla Inc., where Musk serves as Chief Executive, have responded to requests for comment on the matter.

Musk, known as the world’s wealthiest individual and the proprietor of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), recently initiated discussions with the United Kingdom. These discussions have transpired over the past few days, as informed by unnamed sources, owing to their confidential nature.

The potential inclusion of Musk would undoubtedly infuse a sense of celebrity into the summit, a prospect that aligns with Sunak’s hopes of attracting global leaders and top tech executives. Among the world leaders expected to grace the event are Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US Vice President Kamala Harris.

The AI summit, convened by Sunak, is part of a concerted effort to embark on a global approach to regulating artificial intelligence. The primary objective is to safeguard against some of the technology’s most concerning applications, including election manipulation, the facilitation of terrorism, and the easier development of chemical and biological weaponry. During a speech on Thursday, Sunak also issued a stark warning about the “unlikely” existential threats that could arise if humanity loses control over AI.

In July, Musk founded xAI, an independent artificial intelligence company intended to collaborate with his other ventures, as described on its website. While Musk was an instrumental figure in the establishment of OpenAI, a high-profile AI startup responsible for developing ChatGPT, he distanced himself from the company after leaving its board in 2018, particularly in the wake of its for-profit arm’s formation in the subsequent year.

Notably, Musk has been vocal about the need for AI to have a “referee,” as he mentioned in a meeting in Washington in September. In March, he was among hundreds of tech leaders who called for a temporary halt in the development of AI technology.

The AI summit is expected to draw around 100 participants from 28 nations, including prominent figures like Brad Smith of Microsoft Corp., former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who currently serves as President of Global Affairs at Meta Platforms Inc., and James Manyika and Demis Hassabis from Alphabet Inc.’s Google and DeepMind Technologies Ltd.

(With input from agencies)