Iconic Bletchley Park to host UK AI Safety Summit in early November

INTERNATIONAL Governments, leading AI companies and experts in research will unite for crucial talks in November on the safe development and use of frontier AI technology, as the UK Government announces Bletchley Park as the location for the UK summit.

The major global event will take place over:- 1 November and 2 November 2023, to consider the risks of AI, especially at the frontier of development, and discuss how they can be mitigated through internationally coordinated action. Frontier AI models hold enormous potential to power economic growth, drive scientific progress and wider public benefits, while also posing potential safety risks if not developed responsibly.

To be hosted at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, a significant location in the history of computer science development and once the home of British Enigma codebreaking; it will see coordinated action to agree a set of rapid, targeted measures for furthering safety in global AI use.

Preparations for the summit are already in full flow, with Matt Clifford and Jonathan Black recently appointed as the Prime Minister's Representatives. Together they'll spearhead talks and negotiations, as they rally leading AI nations and experts over the next 3 months to ensure the summit provides a platform for countries to work together on further developing a shared approach to agree the safety measures needed to mitigate the risks of AI.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:- "The UK has long been home to the transformative technologies of the future, so there is no better place to host the first ever global AI safety summit than at Bletchley Park this November. To fully embrace the extraordinary opportunities of artificial intelligence, we must grip and tackle the risks to ensure it develops safely in the years ahead. With the combined strength of our international partners, thriving AI industry and expert academic community, we can secure the rapid international action we need for the safe and responsible development of AI around the world."

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:- "International collaboration is the cornerstone of our approach to AI regulation, and we want the summit to result in leading nations and experts agreeing on a shared approach to its safe use. The UK is consistently recognised as a world leader in AI and we are well placed to lead these discussions. The location of Bletchley Park as the backdrop will reaffirm our historic leadership in overseeing the development of new technologies. AI is already improving lives from new innovations in healthcare to supporting efforts to tackle climate change, and November's summit will make sure we can all realise the technology's huge benefits safely and securely for decades to come."

The summit will also build on ongoing work at international forums including:- the OECD, Global Partnership on AI, Council of Europe, and the UN and standards-development organisations, as well as the recently agreed G7 Hiroshima AI Process.

The UK boasts strong credentials as a world leader in AI. The technology employs over 50,000 people, directly supports 1 of the Prime Minister's 5 priorities by contributing £3.7 billion to the economy, and is the birthplace of leading AI companies such as Google DeepMind. It has also invested more on AI safety research than any other nation, backing the creation of the Foundation Model Taskforce with an initial £100 million.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:- "No country will be untouched by AI, and no country alone will solve the challenges posed by this technology. In our interconnected world, we must have an international approach. The origins of modern AI can be traced back to Bletchley Park. Now, it will also be home to the global effort to shape the responsible use of AI."

Bletchley Park's role in hosting the summit reflects the UK's proud tradition of being at the frontier of new technology advancements. Since Alan Turing's celebrated work some 8 decades ago, computing and computer science have become fundamental pillars of life both in the UK and across the globe.

Iain Standen, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, said:- "Bletchley Park Trust is immensely privileged to have been chosen as the venue for the first major international summit on AI safety this November, and we look forward to welcoming the world to our historic site. It is fitting that the very spot where leading minds harnessed emerging technologies to influence the successful outcome of World War 2 will, once again, be the crucible for international co-ordinated action. We are incredibly excited to be providing the stage for discussions on global safety standards, which will help everyone manage and monitor the risks of artificial intelligence."

The roots of AI can be traced back to the leading minds who worked at Bletchley during the Second World War, with codebreakers Jack Good and Donald Michie among those who went on to write extensive works on the technology. In November, it will once again take centre stage as the international community comes together to agree on important guardrails which ensure the opportunities of AI can be realised, and its risks safely managed.

The announcement follows the UK Government allocating £13 million to revolutionise healthcare research through AI, unveiled last week. The funding supports a raft of new projects including transformations to brain tumour surgeries, new approaches to treating chronic nerve pain, and a system to predict a patient's risk of developing future health problems based on existing conditions.

Metro Bank Warns Against Rising Malware Attacks

METRO Bank's 'Scam of the Month' of August 2023 is a warning about the rise in malware attacks against UK bank customers. Malware, or malicious software, is designed by criminals to compromise devices including:- computers, laptops, and mobile phones. Globally, 5.5 billion malware attacks were reported in 2022.

"Malware comes in many forms and include words like:- virus, worm, spyware and trojan. This includes:- stealing personal data, intercepting SMS messages to steal 1 time passcodes (OTPS) or gaining control of online banking applications to make payments. Some devices are turned into:- 'zombies' and used to spread malware further (often to the victims' contact), or to mine cryptocurrency. Some forms of malware, known as:- 'ransomware,' encrypt all data on a victim's device and threaten to destroy or sell it unless the victim pays a fee. Ransomware has been designated a Tier 1 national security threat by the UK Government owing to its prevalence and the high level of harm it causes to victims.UK banks have seen an upward trend in malware attacks, especially on mobile devices, so we want consumers to be aware. There are a number of warning signs we are advising our customers of to help identify a potentially infected device." warns Metro Bank's Head of Fraud and Investigations, Baz Thompson.

Metro Bank's tips to spotting a malware attack:-

• Deterioration of performance... Your device performance suddenly becomes very slow; programs crash or fail to open without reason. You may not be able to use the device at all.
   

• Heat... Your device becomes unusually hot during regular use.
   

• New / Unrecognised apps... Unexpected applications appear on your device; These may give criminals further control.
   

• Abnormal data usage... Malicious applications typically rely on internet connections to send and receive information to their creators. Most phones allow a user to check how much mobile data an application has used; an unusually high amount of data usage respective to the application type can be a tell tale sign.
   

• Unexpected messages... friends and family contact you to advise they've received odd messages from your phone number, email address, or messaging apps.

Thompson:- "There are some very straightforward ways consumers can protect their devices against malware attacks. Keeping your software up to date and checking application permissions are often the best defences."

How to protect yourself from Malware Attacks:-

• Keep devices updated... Install the latest updates for your operating systems and other software and applications, including internet browsers.
   

• Security software... Consider installing security software on all devices (even on a mobile) This may identify malware and assist in removing infections.
   

• Trustworthy Downloads... Only download files and apps from known reputable trustworthy vendors within Google Store or the App Store. Avoid downloading apps from third party developers.
   

• Review app permissions before you download... Even legitimate stores can host malicious apps. Think about what information an application needs access to in order to function; does it really need to access your address book, camera, or files? Our research indicates that malicious apps often include .pdf readers or QR code scanners which have requested these permissions.
   

• Review apps regularly and delete those that are no longer supported or available from the Google Store or App Store.
   

• Emails and texts... Ensure all emails or texts you receive are from legitimate sources before opening any links or attachments, especially if they are pressuring you into taking urgent action.
   

• Passwords... Use complex passwords and multi factor authentication to make it harder for criminals to access your accounts.

If you suspect a malware attack, you need to act fast:-

• Notify your banks of possible malware compromise.
   

• Contact Action Fraud to file a report.
   

• Text 7726 (SPAM) to forward suspicious or unsolicited messages, your mobile network provider will then block and investigate.
   

• Conduct a security scan using security software from a reputable vendor.
   

• Delete and remove any apps identified as malicious from the security scan, unrecognised or seem suspicious, delete risky texts, delete browsing history and empty your cache.