# Seoul AI Safety Summit The AI Seoul Summit 2024 was a May 2024 international meeting co-hosted by South Korea and the UK, building on the Bletchley Declaration. It adopted the Seoul Declaration and ministerial statement to advance safe, innovative, and inclusive AI governance. The AI Seoul Summit 2024 was an international conference held in May 2024, co-hosted by the governments of South Korea and the United Kingdom. It served as a follow-up to the AI Safety Summit held in Bletchley Park, United Kingdom, in November 2023, and aimed to build on the commitments made there. The summit brought together political leaders, industry executives, and international organizations to address the challenges and opportunities presented by [artificial intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) technology, culminating in the adoption of the Seoul Declaration and a ministerial statement on AI safety. The event marked a significant step in global AI governance, shifting the focus from merely identifying risks to also recognizing the importance of AI for innovation and inclusivity. It was part of a series of international meetings on AI safety, with subsequent gatherings planned in other countries. ## Background The AI Seoul Summit was the second major international meeting dedicated to AI safety, following the AI Safety Summit hosted by the UK in November 2023. At the earlier meeting, participating countries adopted the Bletchley Declaration, which prioritized identifying AI safety risks of shared concern and called for international cooperation. The Seoul Summit sought to extend this agenda by also acknowledging the positive potential of AI, such as its role in economic growth and societal benefit. South Korea, as co-host, aimed to position itself as a leader in AI governance and technology. The summit was scheduled to align with broader diplomatic efforts, including the country's engagement with the Group of Seven (G7) and other international partners. The UK's involvement reflected its ongoing role in convening global discussions on AI, following its hosting of the first summit. ## Notable attendees The summit was attended by leaders from several G7 countries, including the United States, Canada, France, and Germany, as well as representatives from South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. International organizations such as the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the European Union also participated. Industry representation was substantial, with figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and executives from major technology companies including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and South Korea's Naver. These attendees contributed to discussions on both the risks and the commercial and societal applications of AI, reflecting the summit's dual focus on safety and innovation. The presence of leaders from [Samsung Electronics](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/samsung-electronics) and other firms highlighted the role of the private sector in shaping AI policy. The summit also included representatives from research institutions and civil society, though the primary focus was on governmental and corporate stakeholders. ## Topics ### South Korean AI safety center A key announcement at the summit was South Korea's plan to establish an AI safety research center. Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho stated that the country would push forward with the creation of an AI Safety Institute in 2024, with the goal of joining a global network to enhance AI safety. He also expressed intentions to strengthen cooperation on developing international standards for AI. This initiative was seen as a response to the growing need for national institutions dedicated to monitoring and mitigating AI risks. The proposed center would likely collaborate with similar bodies in other countries, such as the UK's AI Safety Institute, to share research and best practices. The move also aligned with South Korea's broader strategy to become a hub for AI innovation in Asia. ### Seoul Declaration for Safe, Innovative and Inclusive AI The Seoul Declaration was adopted by leaders from the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. The declaration committed these nations to fostering international cooperation to develop AI governance frameworks that are interoperable between countries. It specifically referenced the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems, which was established under Japan's G7 presidency in 2023. The declaration advocated for the development of human-centric AI, emphasizing collaboration with the private sector, academia, and civil society. It recognized the need to balance safety with innovation and inclusivity, ensuring that AI benefits are widely distributed. This marked a shift from the Bletchley Declaration's narrower focus on risk identification to a more comprehensive approach that includes promoting AI's positive contributions. ### Seoul Ministerial Statement for advancing AI safety At the ministerial meeting held alongside the summit, ministers from 27 countries and the European Union adopted the Seoul Ministerial Statement. Signatories included Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US. The statement called for improving the safety, innovation, and inclusivity of AI technologies. A notable aspect was its focus on developing low-power chips, anticipating the rapid expansion of the AI industry and the massive energy consumption expected from [large language models](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/large-language-model) and other AI systems. This reflected growing concerns about the environmental impact of AI infrastructure. The ministerial statement was broader in scope than the declaration, involving more countries and addressing practical issues such as hardware efficiency. It also emphasized the importance of international standards and cooperation in managing AI's development. ## Global AI Summit series The AI Seoul Summit was part of a series of international meetings on AI governance. The first was the AI Safety Summit in the UK in November 2023, which produced the Bletchley Declaration. Following Seoul, subsequent summits were planned, including the AI Action Summit in France and other events. This series reflects a growing recognition that AI governance requires sustained, multinational dialogue. Each summit has built on the previous one, with the Seoul meeting expanding the agenda from safety to include innovation and inclusivity. The series also involves a rotating set of host countries, allowing different regions to contribute to the global conversation. The outcomes of these summits, such as the Seoul Declaration, are non-binding but serve as political commitments that can influence national policies and international norms. The series has been complemented by other initiatives, such as the Hiroshima Process and various national AI strategies. The summits provide a platform for aligning these efforts and addressing emerging challenges, such as the development of advanced AI systems and their societal implications. ## See also - [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) - Foreign relations of South Korea - AI Action Summit - AI Impact Summit ## References 1. Source facts provided (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). --- Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/seoul-ai-safety-summit License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Last updated: 2026-09-12T16:24:07.123815+00:00