Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey will use his keynote speech at the party conference in Brighton to call for a global nuclear-style non-proliferation treaty aimed at halting the development of super-intelligent artificial intelligence. Speaking on the final day of the gathering, Davey will argue that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity and compare the current tech landscape to a nuclear arms race.
AI Safety Agency and International Treaty Proposals
Davey is expected to outline plans for a new international AI safety agency modeled on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and headquartered in the UK. The proposal follows repeated warnings from AI researchers that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within the decade. “We didn’t leave the atom bomb to a few billionaires to police themselves,” Davey is scheduled to say.
The Liberal Democrat leader will criticize what he views as a lack of regulatory guardrails, warning that the future of AI is currently being decided by a tiny number of the richest and most powerful individuals in California and Beijing. “As liberals – we know that something as existential as nuclear weapons or climate change cannot be left in the hands of a powerful few. And so it must be with AI. We can’t leave it to Mark Zuckerberg, to Sam Altman, or to Elon Musk to save us,” Davey will say.
Critique of Government Policy and Andy Burnham
The speech also targets political rivals, with Davey accusing Andy Burnham of relying on Donald Trump and “tech bros” to solve the technology’s risks. On Monday, the prime minister announced a new AI partnership with the United States ahead of Donald Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Davey contends that this plan “doesn’t come close to meeting the scale of this threat” and “only risks making us more dependent on a Trump administration in the pocket of the tech bros”.
In parallel announcements on Monday, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson proposed a big tech levy and pledged to create a new online crime agency. Wilkinson stated the agency would focus on child sexual abuse material, trafficking in drugs and weapons, and deepfake AI-generated pornography. Wilkinson also criticized Meta’s smart glasses as “perv goggles,” claiming they record individuals, particularly women, without consent or warning.
Did You Know? Ed Davey proposed cutting fuel duty by 10p a litre for a fixed three-month period and reducing the bus fare cap from £3 to £1 as part of transport-related cost-of-living policies announced ahead of the Brighton conference.
Economic Plans and Tax Policy Defense
Defending his party’s vision in interviews on Monday, Davey rejected complaints that the Liberal Democrats lack vision compared to populist alternatives like Reform UK and the Greens. “It’s a very noisy environment at the moment,” Davey told the BBC, adding that he prefers well-thought-out tax-cutting policies over divisive rhetoric.
Asked if he would propose further tax cuts beyond the 10p fuel duty reduction, Davey replied affirmatively. He stated that these measures would be financed by higher economic growth resulting from a Liberal Democrat proposal to seek entry into the European Union’s single market.
Frequently Asked Questions [What is Ed Davey proposing for artificial intelligence?] Ed Davey is calling for a global nuclear-style non-proliferation treaty, a global pause on super-intelligent AI development, and a new UK-headquartered international AI safety agency modeled on the IAEA. [How does the party plan to fund additional tax cuts?] Davey stated that further tax cuts would be financed by higher economic growth achieved through a Liberal Democrat proposal to seek entry into the EU’s single market. [What specific concerns did Max Wilkinson raise regarding big tech?] Max Wilkinson raised concerns about Meta’s smart glasses recording people without consent and announced proposals for a big tech levy alongside a new online crime agency to target online harms, deepfake pornography, and trafficking.
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