The U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of State have announced that they will co-host the inaugural convening of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes on November 20-21, 2024, in San Francisco, California. This follows Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s announcement of the launch of the Network during the AI Seoul Summit in May.

The event aims to bring together technical experts on artificial intelligence from each member's AI safety institute or equivalent government-backed scientific office. The objective is to align on priority work areas for the Network and begin advancing global collaboration and knowledge sharing on AI safety.

"AI is the defining technology of our generation. With AI evolving at a rapid pace, we at the Department of Commerce, and across the Biden-Harris Administration, are pulling every lever. That includes close, thoughtful coordination with our allies and like-minded partners," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. "We want the rules of the road on AI to be underpinned by safety, security, and trust, which is why this convening is so important. I look forward to welcoming government scientists and technical experts from the International Network of AI Safety Institutes to the center of American digital innovation as we run toward the next phase of global cooperation in advancing the science of AI safety."

The initial members include Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. All members have expressed a shared ambition to advance AI safety science and recognize international coordination's importance in ensuring equitable benefits from AI development and deployment.

"Strengthening international collaboration on AI safety is critical to harnessing AI technology to solve the world’s greatest challenges. The AI Safety Network stands as a cornerstone of this effort," said U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

The goal is to kickstart technical collaboration ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025. Experts from international civil society, academia, and industry will also be invited to join portions of the event to help inform Network activities and ensure a comprehensive view of recent developments in AI.