Joint committee on Human Rights

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Alex Sobel]

I absolutely agree. We continually heard evidence right across the industry, both here in the House and externally, about the excellent work that the AISI does. I am pleased that the AI Minister, who is here in the Chamber, has played another leading role in developing AISI as the world’s leading AI safety institute.

However, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. There are two things. The first, as the report found, is about human utilisation of AI tools through, for instance, deepfakes, which affect people’s human rights, or through employment practices, which we can probably very easily regulate, control and legislate for, but that need Government action.

Then, secondly, there are the frontier models. We need a very different level of regulation and legislation for those than we have for individual assistive tools. I am not really worried about ChatGPT 2.0. It is not going to create an existential crisis but, without regulation, future models that are being developed can and will.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Committee Chair and the rest of the Committee for their report and all of the work that they have done. I cannot pretend to understand all about AI. I am probably the oldest of the old school when it comes to those things. I agree with what the Committee has said about how human rights should be first and AI second. I thank the Committee for its clear focus on that.

I also welcome the recommendation that there should be a new AI Bill. That is the right way to do it, because as we look forward, and move forward, we want to ensure that those things happen. Will the regional Assemblies across the United Kingdom, particularly the Northern Ireland Assembly, but also those in Scotland and Wales, be notified and advised of the technology and what the Committee has said? It is really important that individual human rights are protected. Indeed, I believe that they are sacrosanct. Human rights should be first. They should take precedent every time over the technology that is coming through AI.

[Alex Sobel]

First, AI may have the potential to replace many things, but it will probably never be able to replace the hon. Gentleman’s intervention at the Adjournment debate. We can probably rest assured of one thing in terms of AI development.

I am glad that we now seem to have cross-party support from the hon. Gentleman and his party for a new AI Bill with human rights at the centre. What he says about human rights is absolutely correct. I always say that human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible and apply everywhere in the world. Our Committee’s remit is for the UK, but this is an international issue. I am sure that the Minister has heard all that we have said.