Artificial intelligence (AI) could help the world with vaccines for the next global pandemic and aid politicians in cutting the public’s taxes, Jeremy Hunt has told Davos.
The Chancellor told a panel on AI at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the luxe Swiss ski resort that people shouldn’t “kill the golden goose before it has a chance to grow”.
Speaking at the event, alongside AI founder Sam Altman, Hunt said: “As a politician, I look at the big problems that we face.
“When we have the next pandemic, we don’t want to have to wait a year before we get the vaccine. If AI can shrink the time it takes to get that vaccine to a month, that is a massive step forward for humanity.”
He added: “At the moment in the UK, and I think most of the developed world, voters are very angry about their levels of tax.
“If AI can transform the way our public services are delivered, and lead to more productive public services with lower tax levels, that is a very big win.”
Hunt also suggested government’s should aim to be “light touch” on regulating the emerging technology field, and highlighted “London is the second largest AI hub after San Francisco”.
He added: “I think we have to allow the technology to grow. We have to have our eyes open to the guardrails that we’re going to need.”
It came after Altman commented earlier at the WEF on AI and politics, stating: “I believe that America is going to be fine no matter what happens in this election. I believe that AI is going to be fine no matter what happens after this election.”
