Pass new AI legislation or fall behind the EU and the US, UK MPs warn

The UK needs to introduce new AI legislation or risk falling behind the European Union and the US in becoming the leader in AI regulation, UK MPs have warned.

The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee stated that the UK government needs to put in new AI legislation as soon as possible, particularly with its AI summit set to happen in November.

In its interim report, the committee set out twelve challenges that must be addressed by policymakers.

On top of the list, the committee points to the bias challenge – something that has been grappling with the ethics of AI for many years now and has seen the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launch a three-year-long investigation into the use of AI in recruitment applications.

The privacy challenge takes the second point on the list as the use of AI can allow individuals to be identified.

Last month, the UK covertly allowed the use of facial recognition cameras in shops, according to the Observer, to tackle ‘retail crime’. However, in 2021, the UK’s ICO issued US facial recognition firm Clearview AI a £17 million fine for collecting images and data of British people without their knowledge from places such as social media platforms.

Other challenges the committee points to include in the AI legislation is the issue of needing large datasets in order to run AI programs, which are held by few organisations, the concern with whether AI will replace jobs (something that the head of the UK government’s AI taskforce deemed ‘inevitable’), and the worry that AI could be a threat to human life.

“AI is full of opportunities, but also contains many important risks to long-established and cherished rights – ranging from personal privacy to national security – that people will expect policymakers to guard against,” commented Science, Innovation and Technology Committee chair, Greg Clark.

Commenting on November’s AI Summit, Clark added: “If the Government’s ambitions are to be realised and its approach is to go beyond talks, it may well need to move with greater urgency in enacting the legislative powers it says will be needed.”

The committee also called on the UK government to invite “as wide a range of countries as possible” to the summit, to “advance a shared international understanding of the challenges of AI as well as its opportunities.”

The comments from members of the British Parliament prompted industry figures to urge the government to take a leading role in AI research and development, warning that excess AI legislation could stunt growth.

Sridhar Iyengar, managing director for Zoho Europe, commented: “Taking a global lead in the AI race is a vital part of the UK’s aim to become a Tech Superpower and November’s AI summit will play a key part in this.”

“There has been some concern expressed by consumers and business around trust and safety when it comes to AI. Regulation could be important to develop widespread trust and promote further adoption of AI tools to drive business success. However, this cannot come at the expense of innovation. Taking the lead on R&D in the AI space can help to cement the UK as a global tech hub.”

“AI can add significant value for businesses. For example, it can help increase efficiency and accuracy in projections forecasting, fraud detection and sentiment analysis. However, collaboration between business, government and industry experts is necessary to ensure its success. This can help to strike the right balance when introducing safe regulations and guidance for the development of truly innovative AI solutions that can play a central role in business growth.”

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