Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with AI companies on the publication on the internet of defamatory comments towards humans by autonomous bots.

A range of rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation. The UK has well established defamation laws, and our data protection laws also apply to personal data processed in the context of AI. We continue to monitor developments in the common law in this area.

AI services including chatbots that enable users to share content with one another, or that search the live internet in response to user prompts, are regulated under the Online Safety Act and covered by the illegal content and children's safety duties. The largest user-to-user services will also need to enforce their terms of service, such as where they prohibit AI-generated content which is deceptive. Companies that do not comply can expect to face enforcement action from Ofcom.

The Department meets regularly with technology companies and Ofcom to discuss how they can better protect people in the UK from illegal and harmful content online, including from chatbots. We will continue to work closely with industry and Ofcom to address emerging risks and uphold strong online safety protections.