AI: Cross-sector Legislation

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate Excerpts

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I can assure the noble Lord that the Government are most certainly not going backwards in this respect. I can also assure him that the AI Security Institute which has been set up has driven much of this across the world. It is linked to similar units elsewhere; it is undertaking work on many models that are evolving; and it is making its own work open, including the approach it takes. There is a very robust system being developed to make sure that the UK is at the forefront of this, not in the following stream.

[Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate (Con)]

It is very encouraging that the Government’s AI opportunities action plan is proceeding, and I very much welcome it. The Minister just referred to the precautions—including the AI Security Institute, which clearly needs resources—that we need to take to protect interests of various kinds, and to regulators, where it was admitted by the Government that capabilities needed much enhancement. Has the Minister anything further that he can say to give reassurance to those who are concerned?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

Yes, regulation is clearly important, and that is why we formed the Regulatory Innovation Office, which is looking at AI, among other areas, including AI in healthcare. There are a number of actions being taken to boost regulator capability; that is one of the things that the Regulatory Innovation Office is working on. The regulators’ pioneer fund is also relevant to increasing and boosting the ability of regulators to undertake this. Development of capabilities takes place through the DRCF, the forum of the digital regulators that I have referred to, and there will be more in that area. In the SR, regulators have been encouraged to put in bids relating to boosting capability in AI.