On February 10-11, the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit took place in Paris, where nearly 60 countries signed a joint declaration, except for the United States and the United Kingdom.
The United States Vice President, JD Vance, made his first international appearance in Paris and called on European countries to maintain an optimistic attitude towards AI technology. He emphasized that as a leader in designing and manufacturing chips, the U.S. “embraces an open and cooperative spirit,” but stressed the need for an international regulatory system to build trust and foster the development of AI technology rather than stifle it.
Vance addressed world leaders and industry elites present at the summit, saying, “We firmly believe that AI must remain free from ideological bias and the U.S. AI will not be manipulated into an authoritarian tool of censorship.”
He also warned about the risks of cooperating with authoritarian regimes, without directly naming China, but stating that the Trump administration will do everything to prevent “authoritarian regimes from stealing and utilizing AI to enhance their military intelligence and surveillance capabilities, acquire foreign data for propaganda, and undermine the national security of other countries.”
Vance emphasized, “Collaborating with them is like chaining your country to the shackles of a dictator who seeks to infiltrate, install, and take over your information infrastructure.”
According to a report by the BBC, regarding the UK’s decision not to sign the joint statement, a spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister responded, saying, “Discussions are still ongoing,” and highlighting that the UK has maintained close cooperation with France throughout the process.
The spokesperson explained that due to the inability to reach a consensus on all parts of the leaders’ declaration, the UK did not sign, reiterating that the UK will only sign initiatives that align with national interests but did not specify which aspects of the declaration they opposed.
The spokesperson added that France is one of the UK’s closest partners in the field of artificial intelligence.
The joint declaration signed by France and India (the two co-hosting countries), China (the CCP), and other nations pledges to reduce the digital technology gap between countries, emphasizes promoting AI accessibility, and ensures that the development of artificial intelligence remains “open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, secure, reliable, and trustworthy.”
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, stated on Tuesday, February 11, that “this summit is focused on action, which is exactly what we need right now.” She emphasized that Europe’s AI development strategy will prioritize innovation and collaboration while “embracing the power of open-source technology.”