Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks concerning the potential risks of autonomous AI made by the Director-General of MI5 on 16 October, and what steps they are taking to mitigate autonomous AI threats to national security.

As MI5’s Director General has noted, AI strengthens the UK’s national security capabilities, but its misuse or loss of control poses serious risks. The UK Government is actively addressing these concerns.

The Home Office collaborates with the UK intelligence community and technical partners like the AI Safety Institute and Alan Turing Institute to assess threats and shape policy. This includes ensuring AI systems align with human values and operator intent to reduce misalignment risks.

Through the National Security Strategy 2025 and UK AI Opportunities Action Plan, the UK is investing in sovereign, high-assurance AI for defence and critical infrastructure, developing cybersecurity standards, and evaluating advanced AI models to detect harmful capabilities—ensuring AI is deployed safely and in line with national interests.

In September 2025, the UK also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US under the Technology Prosperity Deal, strengthening collaboration on AI and national security to mitigate future risks. Subsequently, the UK has committed to greater collaboration between the US Centre for AI Standards and Innovation and the UK AI Security Institute, and secured multi-billion-pound US tech investments in UK AI infrastructure and Growth Zones to deliver new AI infrastructure in the UK.