Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform our economy and society.
It is important, however, that new forms of AI are introduced safely and securely. The Government is committed to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in AI, and is adopting a collaborative approach with the UK's international partners to address risks and support responsible development and use.
Legislation
The AI Regulation White Paper, published in March 2023, proposes a clear regulatory framework to support innovators by taking a proportionate, context-sensitive, risk-based approach. It is underpinned by five principles: safety, security and robustness; appropriate transparency and 'explainability'; fairness; accountability and governance; contestability and redress.
More information on the White Paper can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-regulation-a-pro-innovation-approach.
The Government will continue to discuss the many strong and emerging ideas (such as international evaluation and monitoring of AI, and continued research) with international partners and leading industry figures to reach a global regulatory consensus.
Public trust
Building and maintaining public trust is vital to ensure that the UK does not miss out on the benefits that AI offers. A key principle of the proposed regulation in the White Paper is transparency and "explainability", whereby a greater understanding of AI and its processes will increase public trust.
Potential risk
The Government recognises the need not only to unlock the opportunities of AI but to address its potential risks. In April 2023, the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary announced £100 million in start-up funding for the Foundation Model Taskforce, now known as the UK’s Frontier AI Taskforce. The taskforce’s core mission is to support the safe and reliable development and deployment of AI foundation models in the public and private sectors to improve UK capabilities in this transformative technology, and to evaluate the risks posed by the rapidly advancing frontier of AI.
In October 2023, the Government published a paper on the capabilities and risks from frontier AI. Frontier AI can perform a wide variety of tasks, is being augmented with tools to enhance its capabilities, and is being increasingly integrated into systems that can have a wide impact on the economy and society. Although these models still have major limitations such as their factuality and reliability, their current capabilities are impressive, may be greater than governments and scientists have been able to assess, and have appeared faster than expected. As the Prime Minister said in a recent speech on AI, the UK has a global responsibility to understand and address the risks surrounding AI, in order to realise all its benefits and opportunities for future generations.
AI Global Summit
The UK has just hosted the first global summit on AI safety at Bletchley Park. I welcome that together with other leading AI nations who were in attendance, a world-first agreement was reached to establish a shared understanding of the opportunities and risks posed by Frontier AI. It includes a commitment to governments working together to meet the most significant challenges. Attendees have also agreed to work together to support a network of scientific research on Frontier AI safety. This will ensure the best available scientific research can be used to create an evidence base for managing the risks whilst unlocking the benefits of the technology, including through the UK’s AI Safety Institute which will look at the range of risks posed by AI.
You can find out more about the Global Summit here: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/ai-safety-summit-2023
AI's Economic Impact and Investment
The UK’s AI industry employs over 50,000 people and contributed £3.7 billion to the economy in 2022. Britain is home to twice as many companies providing AI products and services as any other European country, with hundreds more created each year. The Government has invested over £2.5 billion in AI since 2014, and in the Spring Budget 2023, the Chancellor pledged a further £3.5 billion as the UK leads the way as a scientific and technological superpower.
To capitalise on job creation, the Government will invest £23 million for 2,000 new AI and data science conversion courses scholarships; £100 million for AI Centres for Doctoral Training at universities across the country; and over £46 million for Turing AI Fellowships, developing the next generation of top AI talent. However, the Government is investing not only in top-tier talent but also to enable those from non-STEM backgrounds to access the best possible opportunities in AI.
I understand there are concerns about the impact of AI on existing jobs. Indeed, the pace of change itself can be unsettling. Some fear a future in which AI replaces or displaces jobs, for example. The Government's vision for a future AI-enabled country is one in which our work is complemented rather than disrupted by it. Ministers will strive to position the UK to take full advantage of the opportunities that AI can bring about.
Data Protection Concerns
As AI develops at speed, concerns have been raised about potential risks to privacy, safety and human rights. Data protection is a key aspect of the fairness principle that underpins the White Paper. It will ensure that processing of personal data involved in the design, training, and use of AI systems should be compliant with requirements under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, particularly around fair processing and solely automated decision-making.