U.S. AI Policy Shift: Safety Institute Officials Absent from Paris Summit

The U.S. delegation to the upcoming AI summit in Paris on February 10-11 will not include technical staff from the AI Safety Institute, according to sources familiar with Washington’s plans. Vice President JD Vance will lead the delegation, with representatives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, including Lynne Parker and Sriram Krishnan, in attendance.

However, officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Commerce Department, including AI Safety Institute members, will not participate. The AI Safety Institute, established under former President Joe Biden to address AI risks, has collaborated with OpenAI and Anthropic on safety testing. Its future remains uncertain under President Donald Trump, who recently revoked a Biden-era AI executive order.

Sources suggest that the absence of AI Safety Institute officials is due to the Commerce Department's ongoing transition following Trump’s January 20 inauguration rather than a direct policy shift. Meanwhile, the U.S.-chaired International Network of AI Safety Institutes is expected to be represented at the event, reflecting Washington’s continued involvement in global AI discussions.

The Paris summit, attended by around 100 nations, differs from previous gatherings in Bletchley Park and Seoul by focusing more on AI’s potential rather than its risks, a topic debated within the tech industry. Ensuring U.S. leadership in AI remains crucial, especially as China makes significant strides in the field.

The Commerce and Homeland Security departments did not respond to requests for comment, while the AI Safety Institute has yet to address its absence from the summit.