Ed Davey Calls for Global AI Non-Proliferation Treaty

Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for a global non-proliferation treaty to halt the development of super-intelligent AI during his keynote speech at the party conference in Brighton. Comparing the AI race to a nuclear arms race, Davey proposed creating an international AI safety agency headquartered in the UK and modeled after the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Davey argued that existential risks cannot be left to a few powerful individuals in California and Beijing, specifically naming Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. He criticized the prime minister's new AI partnership with the United States, claiming the agreement increases dependence on the Donald Trump administration and fails to meet the scale of the threat.

Adding to the party's regulatory push, home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson proposed a big tech levy and the establishment of a new online crime agency to combat trafficking and deepfakes. Wilkinson stated that the current government fails to protect civil liberties against big tech.