US and UK refusal to sign Paris declaration shows divergence in AI strategy

The U.S. and the UK have declined to sign the Paris AI summit declaration, which seeks to establish a “human rights-based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy” approach to the technology.

The international agreement was signed this week during the AI Action Summit in Paris by 61 countries, including Canada, China, Australia, India and Japan, as well as the European Union and the African Union Commission.

The two-day event was co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A result of the high-level meeting was the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI focuses on sustainability, digital public goods, cooperation on governance and open AI models.

The Paris summit, however, has also highlighted the divergence towards AI regulation: Europe has been attempting to establish a comprehensive framework with the AI Act while the U.S. and UK have been wary of introducing more rules.

US looks to deregulation, UK strikes its own path

The U.S. has not provided a reason for the absence of its signature. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, however, shared some of the country’s reservations in a speech during the summit, including that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry, Reuters reports.

“We feel very strongly that AI must remain free from ideological bias and that American AI will not be co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship,” Vance said on Tuesday.

Since the arrival of President Donald Trump, the U.S. has been taking a laissez-faire approach to AI regulation. In January, Trump rescinded former President Joe Biden’s 2023 Executive Order on AI, removing federal-level guidelines for managing AI risks and leaving a more fragmented regulatory environment.

During his speech in Paris, Vance also criticized the EU’s “massive regulations” such as the GDPR privacy rules and the Digital Service Act (DSA), stating that they have led to endless legal compliance costs for smaller firms.

The UK government, on the other hand, said that it agreed with much of the declaration but felt it was lacking some parts.

“We felt the declaration didn’t provide enough practical clarity on global governance, nor sufficiently address harder questions around national security and the challenge AI poses to it,” a government spokesperson said, according to the BBC.

The country has denied it was being led by the Trump administration, adding it has signed other agreements at the Paris AI Action Summit, including about sustainability and cybersecurity.

The UK’s decision not to sign the agreement was “cautiously welcomed” by the Trade Association for UK AI Businesses (UKAI).

Organizations such as the Biometrics Institute, however, have been arguing that the country needs more regulation, including a consistent framework for governing facial recognition in public spaces. Law enforcement agencies’ use of live facial recognition has been an ongoing topic of debate in the country.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been attempting to position the country as a “unique place” that learns from the U.S.’ and EU’s approach. In January, he unveiled the AI Opportunities Action Plan which outlines how AI can be used to cut public administration and boost the economy.

EU and France pledge more AI investments

During the Paris AI Action Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced 200 billion euros (US$206.5 billion) for AI investments in the EU. The InvestAI initiative was launched on Tuesday and will support European AI “gigafactories” that would train complex AI models.

The gigafactories are designed to provide companies with large-scale computing power. The Commission announced seven initial AI factories in December and is planning to add another five, according to Euronews.

“We want AI to be a force for good and for growth,” von der Leyen said in a statement. “We are doing this through our own European approach – based on openness, cooperation and excellent talent. But our approach still needs to be supercharged.”

The announcement follows President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to invest 109 billion euros ($113.6 billion) in AI projects in France in the coming years. The financing includes investment from Canadian investment firm Brookfield and the United Arab Emirates.

“It is the French equivalent of what the U.S. announced with Stargate. It is the same proportion,” Macron told French broadcaster France 2 on Sunday.

Article Topics

AI  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  regulation  |  responsible AI