King Charles Meets AI Chiefs at Dumfries House, Urges Human-Centred Tech

King Charles III met senior executives from leading artificial intelligence companies on Thursday at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, urging them to ensure the technology remains in the service of people and the planet.

The gathering brought together representatives of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind and Nvidia, along with Britain's AI Minister Kanishka Narayan. It was convened to discuss how AI can be deployed in ways that benefit society.

In opening remarks released in advance, the king described the rapid advance of AI as "intriguing and deeply concerning in equal measure." He was expected to tell the executives that those who value humanity and its moral component are seeking reassurance that "we will not lose control of our destiny."

"The task before you is not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world," he was due to say.

OpenAI was represented by Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, while delegates from Nvidia, Google DeepMind and Anthropic were also expected at the meeting, held at the headquarters of The King's Foundation, the monarch's charity.

The talks took place amid intensifying global scrutiny of AI's breakneck progress and warnings about the grave risks it poses to humanity. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wrote in an essay on Saturday that the industry might need to slow the pace of its work, cautioning that a swarm of AI agents could soon be able to take over the internet unless companies devoted more time to safeguards.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded on social media, saying that "AI progress could go very badly" and that slowing it down is "well worth the cost." Their posts followed the resignation of an Anthropic researcher, Jacob Coxon, who warned against underestimating AI and said Anthropic and OpenAI were gambling with human life.

The palace said the king's AI talks aim to "advance thinking" on principles that industry leaders, experts and broader society could champion.

On Tuesday, First Secretary Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, said the government has a "solemn duty" to mitigate the risks posed by AI. "We must heed the warnings of those who are at the forefront of developing this technology," she said, adding that there are "clearly huge risks to our national security and society if the right guardrails are not put in place." She said the UK government is ready to work with international partners to ensure public safety and national security.