Speaking at the UN in New York, Burnham said the United Kingdom will use its G20 presidency to act as an “honest broker” and push for an international agreement that would monitor the growth of AI and prevent the spread of rogue systems. He framed the proposal as a way to bring together America, the EU, China, India, Brazil and other partners under one transparent framework.
Burnham highlighted AI’s potential benefits for healthcare, economic growth, education and defence, while acknowledging the technology’s disruptive impact on jobs and the existential risks warned about by industry insiders. He argued that “fundamental decisions on this technology are too important to be left to chance” and must be taken by elected governments serving working people.
President Donald Trump, speaking moments later at the same assembly, rejected any “globalist scheme of control” for AI. He described super‑intelligence as a priority for the United States and said the country would “encourage” its development and monitor it through the Department of Justice, rather than seek to rein it in.
Burnham’s proposal has drawn criticism for not joining a separate initiative led by Norway and Finland, which already enjoys the support of more than 20 countries, including Germany, Canada and Ireland. Former cabinet minister Darren Jones urged the UK to sign up, noting the nation’s special access to American AI models through the AI Security Institute and its potential to broker an agreement with the United States.
In parallel, the UK House of Commons Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee has scheduled an urgent hearing on October 13 with representatives from Meta, Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. The committee will examine whether firms should be required to submit AI models for independent safety testing and to report serious safety incidents, as part of its broader inquiry into the UK’s AI economic strategy.
Burnham’s call for a single global set of AI standards underscores a growing diplomatic divide over how to manage the rapid advancement of frontier AI, with the United Kingdom positioning itself as a mediator while the United States signals a more permissive, development‑focused approach.