Thank you, Director General, for hosting me today and for your continued commitment to advancing global discussions.
The UK government is committed to embedding technology deeply within our economic growth strategy, recognizing its pivotal role in fostering innovation, generating high-quality job opportunities, and significantly enhancing earning potential across various sectors.
Our distinguished universities, prominently featuring four of the world’s top ten ranked institutions, serve as epicenters of technological research and development. These academic institutions are actively nurturing a new wave of UK entrepreneurs who are transforming groundbreaking advancements into successful business ventures. This remarkable academic prowess fortifies our economy and positions the UK as a trailblazer in global innovation.
Moreover, our government is undertaking an extensive digital transformation of public services, aiming to make them not just faster but also more efficient and user-friendly. By tackling bureaucratic hurdles and simplifying processes, we’re reclaiming valuable time for citizens, empowering them to prioritize what truly matters in their daily lives.
In embracing technology and digital transformation, we are ardently equipping our workforce with essential future-ready skills, ensuring the UK stands as a luminary in the digital age, which is vital for maintaining prosperity and competitiveness within the ever-evolving global economy.
Our government is wholeheartedly dedicated to international collaboration, striving to realize our digital and technological ambitions on a global scale. By pooling expertise and driving innovation, we can forge global standards, spur economic growth, and unveil opportunities that benefit all nations.
AI is the transformational technology that will, more profoundly than others, impact our lives in the coming decades, influencing everything from job markets to social dynamics.
The World Economic Forum’s recent projections indicate that generative AI has the potential to contribute a staggering $4.4 trillion annually to our global economy, unlocking unprecedented avenues of growth.
According to your insightful report, if AI is adopted universally, global trade growth could surge by nearly 14 percentage points by 2040, accompanied by an elevation of real global GDP by 11 percent. This underscores the profound implications of AI on trade and its capacity to enrich trade flows significantly.
AI, while poised to revolutionize trade, is also an asset that is inherently tradeable, implying that the WTO will play a crucial role in determining the parameters for trading AI goods and services.
However, the implications of AI extend far beyond trade alone. The adoption of the Global Digital Compact at the UN this September exemplifies how technology, including AI, can fundamentally transform the delivery of sustainable development goals, paving the way for a brighter future.
The potential of this technology has not gone unnoticed by those at the forefront of innovation.
Some businesses are already capitalizing on the advantages of AI to enhance operational efficiency, minimize waste, and maximize their production capabilities.
For many in society, however, this rapid technological advancement can generate uncertainty and fear. It is our responsibility to guide them in understanding what the AI era signifies for their lives and illustrate the benefits they can reap.
We stand on the brink of a new era, and the scale of the opportunity before us is immense. To fully embrace it, we must adopt a proactive and collaborative approach.
True success will hinge upon our ability to marry ambitious domestic initiatives with international cooperation, unlocking the myriad benefits that AI offers for our health, happiness, and overall prosperity.
Such initiatives must be firmly anchored in principles of open and free trade, which is why my engagement with you today holds such critical importance.
Turning our attention to the UK’s efforts in cultivating a robust domestic AI ecosystem, we understand the modern global economy is rapidly digitalizing, with digital trade constituting 25% of total global trade—approximately £4 trillion—and continuing to grow. Recognizing AI as integral to this growth, we are determined to amplify our efforts to nurture our domestic AI landscape.
In our inaugural month in Government, we launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan, spearheaded by entrepreneur Matt Clifford. This forthcoming Plan will outline specific measures aimed at expanding our AI sector, accelerating its integration throughout the economy, and modernizing our public services.
At its core lies the conviction that every citizen in Britain should be able to harness the benefits of AI, spanning academia, businesses, public services, and everyday life. We cannot afford to leave anyone behind in this digital revolution.
None of these initiatives will come to fruition if we act in isolation. Therefore, we are committed to partnering with industry, civil society, and international allies to realize our goals effectively.
Through these partnerships, we will deepen our understanding of how to foster growth throughout every stage—from development to adoption. I look forward to the opportunity to return to Geneva soon and share insights from our early endeavors.
Our approach prioritizes safety, as we recognize that trust in technology is essential for its widespread adoption. Trust and growth must move in tandem to create a thriving ecosystem.
I take pride in the UK’s leadership role in the global conversation surrounding AI safety.
This important dialogue commenced when world leaders convened for the inaugural AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park in the UK last year, marking a significant milestone in our collective journey.
Since that event, our AI Safety Institute has forged robust and productive partnerships with pioneering AI companies and stakeholders around the globe.
Concurrently, we are actively collaborating with expert regulators to enhance responsible AI usage, thereby fostering innovation and growth within their respective sectors.
In the near future, we will introduce targeted binding regulations for a select group of companies developing the most advanced AI systems, ensuring our readiness for this rapidly evolving technology.
These proposed regulations aim to diminish uncertainty for AI developers, bolster public trust, and enhance confidence among businesses.
As we develop these measures, we will engage closely with international partners to evaluate interoperability and guarantee their effectiveness, ultimately enhancing opportunities for trade and overall economic growth.
Much of this growth will originate not solely from the ‘AI Sector’ but also from a wide array of businesses across the economy that are responsibly adopting this transformative technology to elevate their productivity and success.
We must extend our support to these enterprises as a priority.
Earlier this month, the UK’s Secretary of State for Science Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, unveiled the ‘Assuring a Responsible Future for AI’ Report, which delineates our strategy for expanding our AI assurance market, anticipated to grow sixfold to £6.5 billion by decade’s end.
Simultaneously, we have initiated a public consultation on AI Management Essentials, a self-management tool aimed at assisting startups and SMEs in deploying AI responsibly.
In March of next year, the UK’s AI Standards Hub will host a global summit focused on how AI technical standards can strengthen safety and promote global interoperability.
With these sensible and proportional policies, we can guarantee that businesses of all sizes can leverage the extraordinary opportunities presented by AI.
However, while we have made notable strides domestically, we fully recognize the significance of global collaboration in this sphere.
Each day, we engage with partners worldwide, bolstering our presence in international institutions; I am particularly pleased that the WTO is now an integral part of this transformative conversation.
Only through joint efforts can we forge a robust rules-based international framework to navigate the new AI era.
One specific collaboration involves our partnership with the OECD to develop the Terminology Tool for Responsible AI. This innovative resource will clarify key terms and concepts essential for establishing AI governance frameworks, and will map interrelations within them.
This tool will empower industry players and assurance providers to navigate various governance landscapes, thereby enhancing interoperability.
Furthermore, it will play an instrumental role in unlocking the comprehensive economic and societal potential of this groundbreaking technology.
That’s where trade interjects, as the WTO report elaborates; a significant portion of AI’s potential is predicated on its capacity to transform trade.
AI presents an unparalleled opportunity to enhance digitization at every echelon of the economy, heralding a new era characterized by business efficiency and unprecedented access for SMEs to international markets driven by digital solutions.
The proliferation of digitally delivered services holds the promise of opening global markets to SMEs regardless of their geographical location.
However, achieving this vision will require policy frameworks that are coherent and interoperable, rather than unnecessarily burdensome, which tend to stifle growth.
We firmly believe that the appropriate regulatory approach can ignite responsible innovation benefiting everyone.
We remain steadfastly committed to collaborating with like-minded partners around the world to address pressing challenges in this domain.
This may entail devising a robust governance model for the data that AI relies upon or establishing fair terms for text and data mining to foster technological innovations while safeguarding fair remuneration and rights for the creators of the training data.
Additionally, we aspire to collaborate in bridging the digital divide with the excellent initiatives led by the ITU and other international entities.
AI must serve as a force for reducing global inequalities rather than exacerbating them.
This commitment is reflected in the UK’s allocation of £58 million to the AI for Development program, partnering with international and local stakeholders to build AI capacity throughout Africa and Asia, thereby promoting innovation and stimulating economic growth.
We are convinced that, as exemplified by the ITU’s AI for Good Global Summit, AI has a pivotal role in addressing some of our most pressing global challenges, ranging from food insecurity to climate change.
The UK has allocated funding for AI innovations aimed specifically at tackling acute development challenges over the last decade.
These pioneering solutions have already made a tangible impact across a spectrum of Sustainable Development Goals. For example, advancements in AI have provided safer drinking water for at least 465,000 refugees in regions like Bangladesh, South Sudan, Syria, and beyond.
AI transcends borders, and it’s crucial that all nations have a seat at the table in discussions that affect them directly.
By sponsoring the OECD-African Union AI Dialogue series, we aim to deepen multilateral cooperation on the governance of AI, engaging a wider array of countries.
Moreover, through initiatives like the UK’s AI Standards Hub and the Portfolio of AI Assurance Techniques, we are actively fostering the generation of global technical standards and assurance mechanisms needed to dismantle technological trade barriers and enhance international market access.
Global collaboration presents its challenges, particularly in a domain as rapidly evolving as AI. Nonetheless, if there is a venue where such collaborative efforts can thrive, it is indeed here in Geneva.
Today’s Conference and the WTO’s Report mark an excellent starting point for the vital dialogue we need on AI and trade at domestic, regional, and international levels.
The World Trade Organization is uniquely positioned to spearhead progress in this area, and the UK stands ready to contribute actively to this discourse.
We eagerly await input from other nations today on their perspectives regarding the WTO’s role in this crucial conversation and how we can best coordinate our efforts on this significant agenda.
Our task is both timely and urgent.
There is no doubt that AI will reshape our societies and economies in profound ways.
Our choice is not a matter of whether change will occur; it’s about whether we will passively allow it to define us or actively engage in shaping the future of this transformative technology and the world it engenders.
We envision a future where every nation can access the myriad opportunities that AI presents and where every citizen is shielded from potential risks.
Through collective effort and collaboration, we can bring this vision to fruition and make that ambitious future a reality.
How can we ensure that diverse voices are included in the discussions around AI governance and regulation on a global scale?
And ensure that diverse voices contribute to shaping the future of this technology. Engaging with nations across the globe will not only foster shared understanding but will also facilitate the exchange of best practices in AI governance and regulation.
We must acknowledge that the implications of AI shape not just trade, but also employment and skills development. As AI evolves, the job market will undergo significant transformations, necessitating a focus on reskilling and upskilling initiatives that empower individuals to thrive in an AI-driven economy. The burden of adaptation should not fall solely on workers; businesses, governments, and educational institutions must collaborate to create pathways that ensure everyone can benefit from the advancements AI offers.
Moreover, as we propel forward, we should remain vigilant about the ethical considerations surrounding AI deployment. It is imperative that we address concerns related to privacy, security, and the potential for bias in AI systems. These considerations are not mere footnotes; they are fundamental to establishing trust and legitimacy in the technology.
The global AI landscape is continuously evolving, and as we forge partnerships and collaborate on best practices, let us prioritize transparency and accountability. Through robust dialog, we can establish a foundation that ensures AI serves humanity, prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities.
As we look to the future, let us harness the momentum of innovation while upholding the values of cooperation, inclusivity, and responsibility. The opportunity to redefine our economic landscape and create a brighter, more equitable future through AI is immense, and it requires a collective effort.
Together, we can build a future in which technology enhances human capability, drives sustainable development, and ultimately contributes to a more fair and just world. Thank you for your commitment to this vital work; I look forward to continuing our collaboration as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. Let us seize this moment to pioneer a future where AI supports a thriving global economy and enriches the lives of all people.
