‘A critical moment’: concern UK is not up to speed in acting on AI risks

Andy Burnham’s focus on immediate domestic problems leads some to fear issue has dropped off government’s radar

Towards the end of Keir Starmer’s time in office, his senior ministers, alarmed by the latest developments in artificial intelligence, began drawing up plans for a new AI safety law.

They ordered a review of existing legislation to see what powers they already had, according to those briefed on the plans, and were exploring whether they could force the world’s most advanced technology companies to submit their products for safety testing before launching them.

In the midst of the political chaos that engulfed the former prime minister as he fought to remain in office, however, the plans fell by the wayside.

Now, after two weeks in which the world has been told there is a greater than 10% chance the technology could “kill all humans”, and King Charles has warned about its potentially destructive capabilities, the government’s attention has turned again to what to do about AI.