Project summary

The Commonwealth Security and Resilience Group (CWSRG) are organising the inaugural Commonwealth AI Security Summit (London, 24-25 November) to strengthen international cooperation on AI safety, security & resilience across the Commonwealths 56 member states.

We are also delighted that the summit has been acknowledged as a pre-event to the Geneva AI summit 2027 - part of the "Road to Geneva"

Website: https://www.cwsrg.org/ai-securitysummit2026

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

The inaugural Commonwealth AI Security Summit will bring together ~100 senior policymakers, diplomatic leaders, researchers, security experts and industry representatives from across the Commonwealth's 56 member states to examine the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems and how they can be adopted safely, securely and responsibly. As AI systems become increasingly capable, strengthening governments understanding of emerging risks and their capacity to develop effective systems will be essential, particularly in countries with limited access to specialist expertise.

The summit responds to a call made by the Commonwealth leaders at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa for multistakeholder collaboration to support the safe, secure, trustworthy, human centric, responsible, interoperable and inclusive development of AI. It also reflects a wider need for forums that connect policy, diplomacy and security expertise in a setting focused on practical outcomes.

Across its 56 member states, the Commonwealth encompasses advanced digital economies, emerging economies and 33 small states, with widely varying levels of AI development, institutional capacity and resources. A central objective of the summit is to facilitate meaningful two- way flow of information, innovation and expertise across the Commonwealth. Advanced economies bring assurance frameworks and regulatory experience, while states that have developed resilience under significant resource constraints bring operational insight from which larger states can learn. AI safety is not best built through one- directional knowledge transfer; it is dependent on trust, exchange and shared learning.

The Summit will address critical issues including AI Sovereignty, Governance and Risk Mitigation, the implications of synthetic content for democracy and information integrity as well as AI Security and International Standards. It will be set over 2 days at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and will consist of panel discussions, fireside chats, working groups and networking opportunities.

Importantly, the Summit is intended as a continuation of sustained engagement rather than a one off event. Discussions and recommendations will inform CWSRG's wider AI Security and Resilience Programmes, with key outcomes and proposed next steps captured and circulated in the post summit communique. The event will also provide an opportunity to connect participants of other CWSRG AI initiatives, such as the Commonwealth Cities AI Security and Sovereignty Network.

How will this funding be used?

We are requesting up to $25,000 to cover travel and accommodation costs for important participants such as government delegates and researchers who would otherwise be unable to secure funding to attend the summit. These are delegates that may stand to not only learn the most from attending the summit but would also be able to teach other nations how they are approaching AI safety with limited resources. Some examples would be delegates from Papua New Guinee, Caribbean Commonwealth States and Commonwealth countries in Africa and Asia.

Indicative costs per participant:

·         Return economy flights: ~USD 800-2,500 depending on origin (e.g Carribean~ USD 800, Papua New guinea USD 2500+)

·         Accommodation in London: ~USD 150- 200 per night, 2-3 nights

·         Ground Transport, subsistence and incidental travel costs: ~ USD 150

Indicative Total: ~USD 1,500-3,500 per fully funded participant, depending on travel origin and length of stay.

Some participants would only need partial support (eg flight cost where their government can cover accommodation). Participants would be selected in representation; relevant expertise; contribution to the summit and subsequent action; and financial need.

The final number of participants supported would depend on travel costs and individual funding requirements, with the aim of maximising meaningful participation within the available grant budget.

CWSRG would book travel and accommodation centrally rather than paying individuals.

Who is CWSRG ? What's your track record on similar projects?

The Commonwealth Security and Resilience Group is the Commonwealth's formal and accredited security institution, mandated by the 56 member states to strengthen their states security and resilience.

Website: https://www.cwsrg.org/

CWSRG has an established track record of convening senior government, diplomatic, security and industry stakeholders across the Commonwealth on security issues, for example the last MDA summit in June in Vancouver.

Please see some lead up events here:

https://www.cwsrg.org/post/women-leaders-in-cyber-and-ai-risk

https://www.cwsrg.org/post/cwsrg-participates-in-the-global-cyberpeace-summit-2-0-bharat-mandapam

We call upon the expertise from our Fellows and Network for specific input as necessary.