Scores of UK parliamentarians join call to regulate most powerful AI systems

"More than 100 UK parliamentarians are calling on the government to introduce binding regulations on the most powerful AI systems as concern grows that ministers are moving too slowly to create safeguards in the face of lobbying from the technology industry. A former AI minister and defence secretary are part of a cross-party group of Westminster MPs, peers and elected members of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish legislatures demanding stricter controls on frontier systems, citing fears superintelligent AI would compromise national and global security."

"The push for tougher regulation is being coordinated by a nonprofit organisation called Control AI whose backers include the co-founder of Skype, Jaan Tallinn. It is calling on Keir Starmer to show independence from Donald Trump's White House, which opposes the regulation of AI. One of the godfathers of the technology, Yoshua Bengio, recently said it was less regulated than a sandwich."

"The campaigners include the Labour peer and former defence secretary Des Browne, who said superintelligent AI would be the most perilous technological development since we gained the ability to wage nuclear war. He said only international cooperation can prevent a reckless race for advantage that could imperil us all. The Conservative peer and former environment minister Zac Goldsmith said that even while very significant and senior figures in AI are blowing the whistle, governments are miles behind the AI companies and are leaving them to pursue its development with virtually no regulation."

"Britain hosted an AI safety summit at Bletchley Park in 2023, which concluded there was potential for serious, even catastrophic, harm, either deliberate or unintentional from the most advanced AI systems. It set up the AI Safety Institute, now called the AI Security Institute, which has become an internationally respected body. Less emphasis, however, has been placed on the summit's call to address risks through international cooperation."

More than 100 UK parliamentarians are demanding binding regulations on the most powerful AI systems, citing slow government action amid industry lobbying. A cross-party group includes a former AI minister, a former defence secretary, and elected members from the UK nations, calling for stricter controls on frontier systems over fears superintelligent AI could compromise national and global security. The campaign is coordinated by nonprofit Control AI, backed by figures including Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn, and urges political independence from US opposition to regulation. Senior AI figures warn oversight is inadequate. The 2023 Bletchley Park summit created the AI Security Institute, but international cooperation has had less emphasis.

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