On AI, new UK gov’t to work on ‘appropriate’ rules for ‘most powerful’ models and beef up product safety powers
There had been rumors the U.K.’s shiny new-in-post Labour government would commit to introducing a dedicated artificial intelligence bill on Wednesday as it unveiled its full legislation program amid the pomp of the state opening of parliament. In the event, the King’s Speech contained a much more tentative commitment — to “seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models.”
Spokesmen for Number 10 Downing Street and the Department for Innovation, Science and Technology (DSIT) confirmed there is no plan for an AI bill yet. Nor were more details forthcoming when TechCrunch asked about the plan to work on formulating “appropriate” rules for the most powerful AI models.
Labour’s election manifesto also pledged it would “ensure the safe development and use of AI models by introducing binding regulation on the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI models and by banning the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.”
The U.K. lags the European Union on this front. The bloc adopted a risk-based framework for regulating applications of AI late last year. The agreed text has since been affirmed and was published in the EU’s Official Journal last week — starting the clock ticking on various legal deadlines which will land on developers over the next few months and years, including some compliance requirements aimed at managing systemic risks of the most powerful general-purpose AI models.
Given the U.K. is still holding back on drafting legislation it may be keen to watch how the EU AI Act is implemented and takes effect. And what impact it has.
Labour’s election manifesto also talked about ensuring “our industrial strategy supports the development of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector, removes planning barriers to new datacentres. And we will create a National Data Library to bring together existing research programmes and help deliver data-driven public services, whilst maintaining strong safeguards and ensuring all of the public benefit.”