Bletchley / Seoul Summits

Key takeaways from the two summits:

• Bletchley Declaration (Nov 2023): signed by 28 countries, committing to cooperate on managing frontier AI risks
• Seoul Declaration (May 2024): further commitments on testing and evaluation, information sharing, and international cooperation

Singapore's role:

• Sent IMDA-led delegations to both editions
• Signed both the Bletchley and Seoul joint statements
• Showcased AI Verify as a governance tool at the summits

Significance: these summits typically only feature major powers — the G7, the EU, China, India — so Singapore being invited as a "small country" and signing the declarations reflects its standing in global AI governance.

The AI Safety Summits are the stage for "high-level political commitments" in global AI governance. Unlike GPAI / OECD (which operate at the technical-expert level), the Summit involves head-of-state / ministerial-level commitments. Singapore's presence at the table signals that its AI governance is recognised as that of an "international-grade player".

Participation in the AI Safety Summits is the highest-tier scenario for Lever 6 (international affairs) in Singapore's AI strategy.

In the "seven transmission levers" framework:

• Lever 6 (international): top-tier international commitments

A take: Singapore being able to sit at the AI Safety Summit table is a manifestation of its "national brand equity" — a mature governance framework, rule-of-law stability, and AI neutrality — letting both the US/UK and China accept it as a counterpart. In an era of AI geopoliticisation, this kind of "neutral, trusted" position is becoming more and more valuable.