Development at the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, the United States and the United Kingdom have declined to sign a declaration on “inclusive and sustainable” artificial intelligence“.
This was a two-day event co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi focusing on sustainability, digital public goods, cooperation on governance, and open AI models.
It marked a clear divergence in global AI strategy. Paris Summit hopes for a concerted approach to developing and regulating the technology. The declaration aims to establish a “human rights-based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy” methodology and approach to artificial intelligence.
The document was backed by 60 signatories on Tuesday. The countries who signed for declaration include Canada, China, Australia, India, Japan, the European Union, and the African Union Commission as well.
The communique states priorities which include open AI insurance, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy international frameworks for all. It makes AI sustainable for people and the planet.
The government of the UK and its spokesperson stated the statement had not gone far enough in addressing global governance of AI and the technology’s impact on national security.
The absence of signatures from two of the world’s leading AI powers has raised questions about the future of global AI governance and regulation.
The United States has not provided an official reason for the declaration refusal. Vice President of the United States JD Vance shared reservations about the country in a speech during the summit. He highlighted the excessive regulation of the AI sector. This explains the significance of “killing a transformative industry just as it’s taking off”. He also added, “We strongly feel that AI must remain free from ideological bias and that American AI will not be co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship”.
The Trump administration’s approach to AI regulation is the stance of the United States. President Trump canceled former President Joe Biden’s 2023 Executive Order on AI in January 2025. He called off removing federal-level guidelines for managing AI risks and leaving a more
burst regulatory environment. This broader laissez-faire approach to AI regulation aligns well with the administration’s decisions.
The government of UK agreed much on declaration and cited concerns about national security and global governance as reasons for not signing. The spokesperson stated, “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”.
They denied being led by the Trump administration for their decision. They also highlighted the agreement on other issues about sustainability and cybersecurity at the Paris AI Action Summit.
The refusal of a declaration by both nations has drawn criticism from various quarters. Head of AI, Andrew Dudfield, at the fact-checking organization, warned the government of the UK about their decision risks of undercutting its “hard-won credibility as a world leader for safe, ethical and trustworthy AI innovation”. This is noteworthy given the UK’s previous AI safety champion that included the hosting of the world’s first AI Safety Summit in November 2023.
All the reactions were not negative. Some Associations cautiously welcomed” the UK’s decision and suggested it might lead to more pragmatic solutions and opportunities to work closely with US partners. There also raised UKAI questions about how it will balance environmental responsibility with the growing energy needs of the AI industry.
This summit also highlighted the divergent approaches to AI regulation globally. However, Europe has been attempting to establish a framework effective with the AI Act. The U.S. and the UK have been more cautious about introducing further rules.
Vice President Vance criticized the EU’s “massive regulations” such as the GDPR privacy rules and the Digital Service Act (DSA). He argued that they have led to excessive legal compliance costs for smaller firms.
The refusal of the Paris Declaration also sets Britain and the US in opposition to both European and developing nations to AI’s best approaches. This divides the implications and future development of AI technologies on a global scale.
Despite the decline of the US and UK Paris Declaration supports the diverse group of nations’ decisions including China. The inclusion of China along with the US and UKS decline adds a layer of complexity to the geographical outlook of AI governance.
With the rapid growth of AI international cooperation and governance becoming more pivotal. The divergent approach highlights the challenges in achieving the global strategy for AI development and regulations. This decision can have far-reaching consequences for the UK and US for the shape up of economic growth and ethical consideration of national security.
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