More than 70 UK lawmakers, including 15 former government ministers, are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to back a ban on building artificial superintelligence in the UK. The proposed bill, introduced by Labour MP Alex Sobel, would prohibit the development, deployment, and operation of superintelligent AI systems, and give the government powers to monitor and control them.

The signatories, who include Labour's John McDonnell and former Conservative minister Zac Goldsmith, are calling on Burnham to support the bill and pursue an international agreement using the UK's presidency of the G20 next year. They want the government to build a coalition of the willing to tackle this national and international security threat.

Sobel's bill defines superintelligence by what a system could do, not by how it is built. It covers AI systems that could seriously damage UK security, including those that could get around or overpower relevant human authorities. The bill would also let the government monitor and restrict systems that could lead to superintelligence.

The move comes after a week of warnings from AI insiders, including Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who quit his job saying AI labs are gambling with our lives. The US government has also suspended access to Anthropic's Mythos model, citing concerns over its potential impact.

The government has said it does not support the bill, with a spokesperson stating that while they do not consider the measures proposed in the bill to be the right approach, they are exploring whether additional targeted interventions may be needed in future to address the most significant AI-related national security risks.

However, the bill has gained outside support, including from Berkeley AI professor Stuart Russell and Nobel Peace Prize campaigner Beatrice Fihn. ControlAI, which is backing the bill, gets its funding from Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn.

The Road Ahead

While the bill's chances of success are uncertain, Sobel's efforts have sparked a crucial debate about the potential risks and benefits of superintelligent AI. As the UK and other countries navigate the complex landscape of AI development, it remains to be seen whether lawmakers will take decisive action to address these concerns.

This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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