Why won't U.S., UK sign AI pact despite criticism

Representatives from over 100 nations took part in the conclusion of the summit in Paris, with 61 countries, including China, signing the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI for People and the Planet.

The United States and the United Kingdom, however, declined to endorse the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit declaration, which advocates for AI to be "open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy."

Speaking at a regular press briefing on February 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, "China actively embraces intelligent transformation, fosters AI innovation, prioritizes AI safety and encourages independent enterprise-driven advancements. We also support inclusive AI development, assisting developing nations in strengthening their capabilities, and promoting open-source AI to enhance accessibility. At the same time, we oppose ideological divisions and the politicization of trade and technology under the pretext of national security."

The U.S. didn't provide an official explanation for abstaining. However, in his speech at the summit, U.S. Vice President JD Vance emphasized the administration's concerns about excessive regulation stifling innovation in the AI sector.

He warned that stringent regulations could "kill a transformative industry" and criticized European regulatory frameworks for imposing "massive regulations" that create "endless legal compliance costs" for companies.

Vance also expressed concerns that certain content moderation efforts could lead to "authoritarian censorship."

"Greater focus and urgency is needed on several topics given the pace at which the technology is progressing," Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder at Anthropic, mentioned in a statement on Tuesday. "At the next international summit, we should not repeat this missed opportunity."

As for the UK, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "We felt that the declaration didn't provide enough practical clarity on global governance and (didn't) sufficiently address harder questions around national security and the challenge that AI poses to it."

Andrew Dudfield, head of AI at fact-checking organization Full Fact, warned that rejecting the Paris communique could damage the UK's credibility in shaping global AI standards.

"By refusing to sign today's international AI Action Statement, the UK Government risks undercutting its hard-won credibility as a world leader for safe, ethical, and trustworthy AI innovation," Dudfield said.

(Cover: The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, February 10, 2025. /VCG)