The Foreign Secretary wrote in an essay, 'the world is more dangerous than it has been for decades'
Artificial intelligence poses a "Hiroshima-like risk" to humanity if not regulated properly, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned.
Ms Cooper urged superpowers the US and China to agree on international regulation on AI, believing the tech debate will be at the forefront of foreign policy over the next few years.
The Foreign Secretary also said the world was encountering a dangerous moment, referencing the US's withdrawal as "guarantor of global security" and more active conflicts than any year since 1945.
In an essay for the think tank Chatham House, Ms Cooper wrote: "The world is more dangerous than it has been for decades, and families across the United Kingdom are feeling the impact."
On AI she drew parallels between the technology and nuclear weapons, writing: "There are clear parallels with the international consensus the UK helped to build around nuclear safety after the Second World War."
She noted nuclear agreement only came after the world saw its power when the US bombed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Ms Cooper implied AI could follow the same pattern unless world leaders do not act pre-emptively.
Placing the UK as a broker to AI consensus, the Foreign Secretary said the 2023 Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit was proof "the UK can rally the world on AI Security".
Advancements in AI have been rapid, but not necessarily always good.
AI titan, Anthropic, decided not to make public their most advanced model, called Mythos 5, as there were concerns hackers could use the technology to exploit software vulnerabilities.
It would only market the AI model to a limited group of tech companies.
The US Government weighed in, suspending the release of the technology completely on June 12.
However, the US Government U-turned on the suspension at the start of this month, with assurances from Anthropic it would collaborate with the authorities to ensure cybersecurity.
Ms Cooper highlighted the UK's relationship with the US, which has appeared rocky recently, particularly since Sir Keir Starmer's reluctance to get involved in President Donald Trump's military operation against Iran.
She noted Britain "supported allies and partners under fire in the Gulf, but we did not provide support for offensive action by the US and Israel in Iran".
"Our relationship with the United States remains deeply rooted and deeply valued, and we will continue to work closely with it in Nato and beyond," she said.
However, she caveated Britain "should no longer expect the US to play the role it once did".
"There will continue to be issues where we disagree," she added.
Ms Cooper's core argument in the essay was Britain needed to assume a greater role on the international stage, describing how the country has gone from "shaping the global rules to standing on the sidelines".
Britain should, alongside European nations, "step-up", the Foreign Secretary wrote, arguing "we must do more for ourselves".
She used Brexit as a flash-point for Britain, blaming the Conservatives under Boris Johnson for walking "away from out closest economic bloc with no serious plan".
As a consequence, she argued, was the UK's "relationships frayed and one of our strongest assets - our reputation for seriousness - was vandalised".
The Foreign Secretary concluded the country "must settle" with the EU, fostering a "stable partnership".
Prime Minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham said late last year he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU "in [his] lifetime", however, backtracked on his position during his Makerfield by-election, saying it was not helpful to rehash old arguments about returning to the bloc.
