UK to unveil AI defence partnership with US at UN General Assembly
Britain and the US will link defence AI offices to speed trusted capabilities, as Burnham urges global cooperation on security and living costs.
Britain will announce a new artificial intelligence defence partnership with the United States on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham makes his debut on the world stage at the United Nations General Assembly.
The arrangement will pair Britain's Defence Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce with the US Department of War's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. Their joint aim is to accelerate the fielding of trusted, interoperable capabilities that strengthen deterrence.
In a speech to the assembly, Burnham will press other nations to cooperate on using AI to improve security and to ease cost-of-living pressures. He is also scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines.
"When the global financial crisis hit, the UK brought together the world's leading economies. As we confront the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, we will show that same leadership," Burnham said in a statement.
He said the defence partnership would bring together leading experts to protect critical infrastructure, deter threats and harness AI's potential.
The collaboration is expected to help safeguard assets ranging from sea lanes to air space.
Britain is the world's third-largest AI market after the United States and China, and there are early indications the technology is helping revive a stagnant economy. At the same time, concerns are mounting that safety efforts are not keeping pace with increasingly powerful systems.
London and Washington cooperate closely on security, technology, finance and foreign policy, despite occasional public disagreements during Trump's two terms.
Britain hosts a leading AI Security Institute, set up after it held the first global AI safety summit in 2023. The institute tests frontier models and assesses their capabilities and potential for misuse. Reports that Anthropic withheld its latest model from the institute have raised questions about whether Britain's light-touch, cooperative approach can address growing AI risks.
Burnham, who has often spoken of balancing the technology's opportunities and challenges, is expected to say Britain will push action on global issues such as AI when it hosts the G20 next year. The summit will be held in November in Manchester, the heart of the northwestern English region where Burnham served as mayor.