Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk to discuss AI at ‘in-conversation’ event

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced an in-conversation event with tech magnate Elon Musk this Thursday.

The X (formerly known as Twitter), Tesla and SpaceX owner is also expected to attend the two-day AI Summit, which will begin tomorrow at Bletchley Park, where pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing helped decipher German codes during the Second World War. 

Sunak confirmed the event yesterday via a post in X that read: "In conversation with Elon Musk. After the AI Safety Summit. Thursday night on X."

The tech billionaire has been outspoken on his concerns about AI over recent years.

Last March, he signed an open letter, alongside around 100 other sector stakeholders, calling for a halt in advanced AI developments. The document said the race was "out of control" making the innovative technology pose significant "risks to society and humanity".

Musk is also the co-founder of OpenAI – creator of ChatGPT – from which he pulled out in 2018 over disagreements over the speed of the technology’s advancement.

In an interview with Fox News, the tech entrepreneur also said AI had "the potential of civilization destruction”.

“A regulatory agency needs to start with a group that initially seeks insight into AI, then solicits opinion from industry, and then has proposed rule-making,” he added.

The summit will discuss measures to mitigate the potential threats of AI.

It will bring together country leaders and relevant stakeholder representatives. Other attendees expected include US Vice President Kamala Harris and European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.