Harris attending AI summit at WWII codebreakers’ base

Vice President Harris is traveling to the United Kingdom next week for a trip focused on artificial intelligence (AI), her office announced Thursday.

The goal of the trip, which comes as the White House is expected to issue a major executive order on AI, is to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s global leadership on the emerging technology.

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will travel to London and Bletchley Park, which was a base for World War II codebreakers, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. 

Harris will deliver a “major speech” Nov. 1 from London, her office said, on the administration’s vision for the future of AI. On Nov. 2, she will represent the U.S. at the Global Summit on AI Safety at Bletchley Park.

U.S. and European countries are invited to the summit, as is China, which is an invite U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been criticized for giving out, The Associated Press reported. He said this week he’s not certain whether China will attend.

The vice president’s office said she will be in the U.K. advocating for “protecting human rights, civil rights, labor rights, consumer rights, and privacy; international rules and norms that reflect democratic values and interests; the inclusion of civil society in AI policymaking; and accountability for the private sector.”

Harris also will make clear during her engagements in the U.K. that the administration is “committed to building a future of AI where every person is safe from the harms of AI and where every person can share equally in its benefits,” according to her office.

While in London, Emhoff will participate in events with civil society and young leaders focused on countering hate, promoting women in STEM and gender equality.