UK Could End Up "Powerless" To Prevent AI Risks Without Urgent New Laws, Industry Warns

Tech sector figures have warned that the UK government's approach to preventing the risks of AI could leave the country "powerless" without urgent legislative action, as the government publishes its long-awaited response to its white paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The AI white paper, set out in March 2023, considered “guidelines” for the use of AI, but was criticised by some industry figures and politicians for not proposing any new legislation, with the government instead intending to use existing regulatory frameworks to mitigate potential AI harms.

The government's response to the white paper, published on Tuesday, has confirmed the government's ongoing confidence in this approach, but has recognised that the UK – and other jurisdictions around the world – will need binding measures further down the road to ensure compliance with regulations.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced that £100m of existing funding will be allocated to support the regulation of AI, with £10m specifically going towards regulator capability to help them jumpstart their response. 

Nearly £90m will be put towards the establishment of nine new 'hubs' established to carry out research on how to embed responsible approaches in the deploment of AI, and a partnership with the US on responsible AI. PoliticsHome understands there is no timeline yet for when these hubs will be established and they will be set up at existing universities across the UK.

MPs have previously warned that without rapid regulation, the government could be “sleepwalking” into a dangerous position with AI. The UK government's landmark AI Safety Summit convened world powers in November to achieve multiple agreements between international