Faculty from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science recently traveled to Paris to participate in international gatherings of experts addressing the future of artificial intelligence.

Zico Kolter, director of the Machine Learning Department (MLD), and Vincent Conitzer, a professor in the Computer Science Department (CSD), presented at the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI (IASEAI) conference. Language Technologies Institute (LTI) Professor Justine Cassell and Eric Xing, a professor in MLD, LTI and CSD, spoke during a scientific conference that was part of the AI Action Summit.

At the inaugural IASEAI conference, held Feb. 6–7, leading experts from academia, civil society, industry, media and government discussed developments in AI safety and ethics. Kolter joined a panel addressing strategic foresight for safe and ethical AI. Conitzer gave a talk titled "Getting AI Systems (Collectively) To Behave the Way We (Collectively) Want Them To."

As part of the AI Action Summit, experts in mathematics, physics, biology and social sciences convened Feb. 6 –7 for AI, Science and Society: Connections, Collectives and Collaboration. Also known as Sciences Days, the conference aims to foster dialogue at the intersection of technological innovation, interdisciplinary scientific inquiry and societal evolution. Xing spoke during a plenary session and participated in the roundtable discussion, "AI at an Inflection Point: Where Do Foundation Models Lead Us?" Cassell was part of a workshop on AI's impact in the sciences and humanities.

Both conferences were held before the AI Action Summit on Feb. 10–11. At the summit, heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs of small and large companies, representatives of academia, nongovernmental organizations, artists, and members of civil society from nearly 100 countries gathered to discuss the development of AI technologies in a global context. The summit tackled issues ranging from the future of work, science and health to the role that women, minorities and children should play in developing new technologies.  

Ahead of the summit, the United Kingdom published the "International AI Safety Report," a comprehensive synthesis of current literature on the risks and capabilities of advanced AI systems. The report was the culmination of work by 100 AI experts. The writing group included Hoda Heidari, an assistant professor in MLD and the Software and Societal Systems Department, and Emma Strubell, an assistant professor in the LTI.