Trump Administration Announces US-UK Artificial Intelligence R&D Agreement 

Sept. 25, 2020 -- Today, the Trump Administration announced that the United States and the United Kingdom signed a Declaration on Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence Research and Development. Through this historic R&D cooperation agreement, we will work together to drive technological breakthroughs, promote researcher collaboration, and advance the development of trustworthy AI.

Today’s announcement is an outcome of the U.S. – UK Special Relationship Economic Working Group, which was established following a meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year.

“America and our allies must lead the world in shaping the development of cutting edge AI technologies and protecting against authoritarianism and repression. We are proud to join our special partner and ally, the United Kingdom, to advance AI innovation for the well-being of our citizens, in line with shared democratic values,” said Michael Kratsios, U.S. Chief Technology Officer.

The cooperation agreement between the two nations includes:

·       Recommending priorities for future cooperation in R&D areas where each partner shares a strong common interest and brings complementary challenges, regulatory or cultural considerations, or expertise.

·       Coordinating the planning and programming of relevant research activities, including promoting researcher and student collaborations and public-private partnerships.

·       Promoting R&D in AI focusing on fundamental advances and challenging technical issues such as explainability and fairness.

This announcement builds upon previous action by the United States to engage with likeminded international partners to accelerate the development of trustworthy AI innovation. Earlier this year, the U.S., G7 Nations, and other allies launched the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to enhance multi-stakeholder cooperation in the advancement of AI that reflects democratic values. In 2019, the U.S. led efforts at the OECD to establish the first-ever international AI principles signed onto by democratic nations around the world.

Source: The White House