Does the UK need an AI Act?

The UK needs clarity on what AI can and cannot do, and that won’t come from guidance from leaders with vision helping us build society that we all deserve.

An AI act would signal that Britain is serious about making technology work for people, and harnessing the power of AI for good.

AI is invading every corner of our lives, from messaging apps to autonomous vehicles some used to excellent effect, others to endless annoyance.

The UK needs clarity: for industry, for public trust and for the prevention of harm.

There are problems that transcend individual industries: bias, discrimination, over-hype, environmental impact, intellectual property and privacy concerns.

The government has announced an AI bill, but its stated ambition is extremely narrow.

The real test of a bill will be whether it credibly responds to the growing list of everyday harms we see today , such as bias, misinformation, fraud and malicious content.

The government’s own market research has said this wild west’ is lowering business confidence to adopt.