Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is expected to call for a global pause on developing super-intelligent artificial intelligence and a nuclear-style non-proliferation treaty. He will argue that potentially existential technology should not be controlled by a small group of wealthy technology executives, and will propose an international AI safety agency based in the UK and modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Davey is expected to criticise the government’s new AI partnership with the US, saying it does not match the scale of the danger and could increase reliance on Donald Trump’s administration. The conference also featured proposals for a big tech levy, an online crime agency and tighter regulation of Meta’s smart glasses, while Davey promoted temporary fuel-duty and bus-fare cuts and said further tax reductions could be funded by growth from closer EU single-market ties.