Artificial intelligence was barely mentioned in King Charles III's speech as he outlined the legislative programme for the UK's new Labour government.
ADVERTISEMENTThe new UK government set out its legislative plans for the country for this year, but it stopped short of detailing an ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) bill announced previously under the Conservative government.
It was widely predicted that before the speech delivered by King Charles III on Wednesday, a piece of legislation to improve the legal safeguards of AI systems, that would be similar to the EU AI Act, would be announced.
The King, however, told the House of Lords that, "[The government] will seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models".
This echoes statements already made by the Labour party which won the July 4 parliamentary election.
The UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is expected to launch a consultation process on AI legislation but no timetable has been set, according to the Financial Times.
After the speech, Sir Keir Starmer, the UK’s new prime minister, told ministers that the government would "harness the power of artificial intelligence" but didn’t go into further detail.
The previous Conservative government pushed to embrace AI to become a global leader with former prime minister Rishi Sunak holding an AI Safety Summit in 2023 where he spoke on stage with tech mogul Elon Musk.
Sunak’s government invested in an AI Safety Institute and public sector supercomputers.
Labour's AI vision
The Labour government could become stricter when it comes to AI.
In its manifesto for the general election earlier this month, it said it intended to introduce “binding regulation on the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI models”.
“Regulators are currently ill-equipped to deal with the dramatic development of new technologies, which often cut across traditional industries and sectors,” the manifesto read.
The manifesto said it would also ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.
Peter Kyle, the new Secretary for Science, Innovation, and Technology, also announced the expansion of DSIT and an AI incubator on July 8.
"What will be crucial for this new government is balancing safeguards with nurturing innovation. The UK is a services-driven economy, yet our low levels of investment in R&D programmes mean productivity rates have historically lagged behind our counterparts such as the US, France and Germany," Kriti Sharma, Chief Product Officer, Legal Tech at Thomson Reuters and founder of AI for Good UK, told Euronews Next.
"AI can be a boon to help make up this deficit, and wide-scale integration of trusted AI tools across industries should be seen as a matter of national importance for the economy," she added.
ADVERTISEMENTBut for the UK to continue to be an AI leader, it would need to be more focused on reskilling and upskilling current and future generations, such as the promotion of STEM education, and inclusivity, according to Sharma.
"The UK would benefit from more sector-specific initiatives such as investments in applications of the technology in the legal sector which can help drive access to justice and deliver broader societal benefits to underserved communities," she said.
