All aircraft banned from flying over Milton Keynes town as it prepares to host government leaders from all over the world

Airspace restrictions are now in place over Bletchley as the Prime Minister prepares to host a massive international summit there next week.

The summit, the first of its type in the world will see 100 presidents, leaders and expert from all over the world gather at historic Bletchley Park to discuss how to keep the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) safe.

But also top priority is the safety of the famous guests, who will includes U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, as well as leading AI pioneers and academics.

The summit takes place on Wednesday and Thursday next week, November 1 and November 2, and aircraft will be banned from flying within two nautical miles of the venue all week according to a Civil Aviation Authority briefing sheet.

This week, as temporary buildings are being erected at the Park to house the delegates, even drones are banned from flying over the park.

The temporary structures have previously been used at other major global events, including the G7 Summit, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III.

Meanwhile, alternative routes around Bletchley Park have been put in place and some outside areas are inaccessible.

Thames Valley Police are working closely with partners to ensure the event passes safely and will operate police drones in the area.

Sergeant Rob Mann of the Joint Operations Unit said: “With the visit of dignitaries and leaders from around the world, we have a significant security operation in place.

“As is typical for events of this scale, we are putting in a significant airspace restriction to keep the summit and the local community safe. We will have tactics available to us to enforce these restrictions and deal with anybody who fails to adhere to the restrictions.

“We are absolutely committed to keeping delegates at the summit, and our local community safe, before, during and immediately after the summit, and restricted airspace is one of many tactics our security operation has in place to ensure that we do so.

“If you notice anything suspicious in the air or on the ground, please report this to police. You can speak to an officer, make a report online or call 101. If something is taking place now, always call 999.”

Talks at the summit will explore and build consensus on rapid, international action to guarantee safety and security at the frontier of AI technology.

The agenda, which can be viewed here, includes discussions on the unpredictable advances of the technology and the potential for humans to lose control of it.

At the end of the two days, the international governments, leading AI companies and experts in research will agree coordinated action for a set of rapid, targeted measures for furthering safety in global AI use.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “The origins of modern AI can be traced back to Bletchley Park. Now, it will also be home to the global effort to shape the responsible use of AI.”