State of the Union: AI summit and EU push into the Balkans

The historic site located between London and Birmingham is considered one of the birthplaces of computing and is famous for its crucial role in deciphering the Second World War.

It was there that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak brought together top tech executives and world leaders to discuss the challenges and many unknowns presented by rapid advances in AI.

In other words, a perfect setting for what Sunak likens to an existential threat to humanity as we know it.

“There is a debate on this subject. People in the industry themselves disagree, and we can’t be certain, but there is reason to believe that this could pose risks of such magnitude as pandemics and nuclear war,” he said. he declared.

“And that’s why, as leaders, we have a responsibility to act, to take the necessary steps to protect people. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Participants, including the US, China and the EU, signed the Bletchley Declaration which aims to combat the risks associated with so-called frontier AI language models developed by companies such as OpenAI.

This technology risks causing serious, even catastrophic, damage, according to the signatories.

Balkan dynamics

Serious harm: this is what could happen to some Balkan candidate countries if they do not step up their efforts to align with the EU in order to become members.

This is the message delivered by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her visit to the region this week.

One of the main countries that needed this reminder was Serbia, as Belgrade is still unwilling to recognize Kosovo and adopt sanctions against Russia.

“So my message is essentially twofold: let’s do our homework, please do your homework, and let’s prepare and seize the opportunity to actually take a substantial step forward in the enlargement process,” von der Leyen.

Not everyone is happy with the prospect of Serbia and Kosovo joining the EU, as both have yet to fully embrace democratic principles.