Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to present a new AI bill in the King’s Speech on Wednesday, marking a clear departure from his predecessor Rishi Sunak.
The bill is expected to focus on the production of large language models and will aim to improve legal safeguards surrounding advanced AI technologies, the ministry said. The Financial Times reported.
The bill is one of 35 expected to be announced tomorrow and is likely to impact the UK’s AI startup ecosystem, which attracted a quarter of technology investments in the first half of the year.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment.
As Sunak’s government focused on AI safety, including through a first of its kind summit at Bletchley Parkhe was hesitant to take the legislative route.
Sunak feared the legislation would stifle industry growth and instead relied on voluntary agreements with governments and businesses, excluding any short-term legislation.
In May, 16 companies, including OpenAI and Amazon, signed up to the Conservative government’s policy. voluntary safety standards for AIThese standards have, however, been criticised for their lack of depth and non-binding nature.
In the meantime, the European Union has already legislation approved to regulate AI across the bloc.
Before the king’s speech, Starmer “Our work is urgent. There is no time to lose. We are getting to work proposing the laws we will need to rebuild our country for the long term – and our ambitious, fully costed agenda is the down payment on that change.”
“From energy to planning to unbreakable tax rules, my government “The UK Government is serious about delivering the stability that will drive growth and create wealth in every corner of the UK.”
Other bills expected to be announced in the King’s Speech include a National Wealth Fund which will invest £7.3 billion over five years, with a focus on infrastructure and green technology.
