Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government's publication A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation, published on 29 March 2023, how much and what proportion of the budget of each regulator in their Department was spent on regulation of artificial intelligence in the latest period for which information is available; how many staff in each regulator worked (a) wholly and (b) partly on those issues in the latest period for which information is available; and whether those regulators plan to increase resources for their work on artificial intelligence.

The Defence Safety Authority is an independent Regulator and Investigator for Health, Safety and Environmental Protection in Defence. At present there are no specific Defence regulations regarding AI, thereby mirroring the statutory position. However, Defence Regulators recognise the clear need for a cohesive, proportionate approach to AI regulation that enables the responsible application of this technology to flourish.. There are no dedicated posts regarding AI at this time, but preparatory activity is being undertaken within existing innovation and emerging technology work-strands across the organisation.