Korea's Science Minister Lee Jong-ho, center, and Britain's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan, left, sign a digital partnership between the two countries, Britain, Nov. 23, 2023, provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Yonhap

Korea and Britain held ministerial-level talks Wednesday to discuss preparations for a joint artificial intelligence (AI) summit to be held in Seoul next month, Seoul's science ministry said.

Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho and his British counterpart, Michelle Donelan, convened via a video meeting to check the progress of the AI Seoul Summit, slated for May 21 and 22, according to the ministry.

The upcoming summit is a follow-up to the AI Safety Summit held in England last November with the participation of countries including Korea, the United States, Britain, Japan and Germany.

On May 21, the leaders of participating nations will hold a virtual summit to discuss ways to guarantee AI safety, promote innovations and build an inclusive future.

The following day, a ministerial meeting will be held to discuss specific areas of cooperation based on the summit discussions of the previous day, including measures to enhance AI safety in each country and develop sustainable AI.

Also on the day, Korea will host the AI Global Forum with senior officials from countries around the world, key industry leaders and members of academia in attendance, according to the ministry.

"We expect the AI Seoul Summit, scheduled to take place next month, to set a significant milestone in devising global AI principles and governance," Lee said. (Yonhap)