Today’s King’s Speech confirmed that the new UK Government will strengthen artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, although it fell short of the AI Bill that some had predicted.
The announcement nonetheless confirms a major shift from the previous Tory government’s laissez-faire approach to AI. Former PM Rishi Sunak championed a “pro-innovation” approach, favouring voluntary agreements between the government and companies and ruling out regulation or legislation, at least in the short term.
Labour had already promised in its manifesto that it would put elements of Sunak’s voluntary code onto a statutory footing.
For Rhys Merrett, head of tech PR at The PHA Group, we probably shouldn’t assume a full AI Bill is off the table just yet: “Instead of an AI Bill announcement, we received mention of appropriate legislation to place requirements on the development of powerful AI tools,” he confirmed.
“It’s a marked a shift in approach from the Conservatives who prioritised consultation over the introduction of legal measures. For any legislative approach to be successful, the government cannot play catch-up to the latest AI tools, including LLMs. Doing so risks putting in place blanket measures that undermine industry innovation and puts the UK behind Europe, the US and Asia.
“Importantly, consultation with the private sector, industry bodies, NGOs and the public will collectively inform the appropriate regulatory and legal approach AI. We should expect an AI Bill on the horizon. AI adoption and innovation is not a spring, but a marathon we have just begun.”
Meanwhile, although not specifically referenced in the speech itself, Downing Street’s briefing document confirmed Labour will introduce a new bill implementing laws to protect the NHS, the MoD, and other public services from cyber attacks by both state and non-state actors folling a raft of high-profile attacks on a number of key public sector institutuons.
The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill aims to equate UK regulation to that of the EU, whose own AI act is also set to come into force next month.
Al Lakhani, CEO of pan-European passwordless authentication platform IDEE, said: “It looks like the UK government has finally woken up to the massive threat that cybercriminals pose to our public infrastructure. After an election campaign that ignored one of the biggest threats to national security, the new legislation requiring private companies in public sector supply chains to beef up their cybersecurity could be a real game-changer. I can sleep a little easier tonight knowing someone in charge is finally taking action.”
The speech also confirmed technology would underpin Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, energy plans, and industrial and employment thinking, adding that the government will “pursue sustainable growth by encouraging investment in industry, skills and new technologies” and seek “new job opportunities that can come from leading the development of the technologies of the future.”
The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill, meanwhile, will establish a number of measures to ensure that data is shared to support innovation while remaining well-protected. These include Digital Verification Services, to help with things like pre-employment checks and buying age-restricted goods, as well as Smart Data schemes to allow for the secure sharing of a customer’s data upon their request, with authorised third-party providers.
All-in-all, some positive notes, but still a lack of real clarity on AI regulation, and a noticeable absence of Labour’s manifesto pledge to ban sexual deepfakes, and to create a National Data Library to centralise data resources.
As Lakhani notes: “Let’s not start celebrating just yet…It might be hard to believe, but this is the first time cybersecurity legislation has been updated in six years – imagine how far behind we’ve fallen compared to the rapidly evolving capabilities of hostile actors in that time.”
