Labour announces commitment to AI Bill in King’s Speech

The UK Parliament is steeped in tradition, and the King’s Opening of Parliament marks the official kick-off of a new legislative session. At the first King’s Speech under a Labour government since 1950, King Charles outlined a few tech priorities for Keir Starmer’s new cabinet.

Speaking to gathered lawmakers in the House of Lords, the British monarch promised to deliver a new AI Bill. However, the speech failed to add further detail to Labour’s manifesto pledge to “support the development of the AI sector through an industrial strategy”.

This lack of new information might suggest that the legislation is still formative. Industry leaders and AI experts offered their opinions on the matter to TechInformed.

Dominic Trott, director of strategy and alliances at Orange Cyberdefense, emphasised the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures in AI regulation. He also highlighted the increasing threat of cyber-attacks on essential services and called for regulations that expand the protection of supply chains.

“Over the past year, we have seen a series of attacks on organisations that provide critical services to the UK. According to our own data, there were 69 cyber extortion attacks on healthcare businesses during Q1 of this year, more than 100% from Q1 in 2023. Organisations must optimise access to skills, adopt appropriate processes, and make the right use of technology to achieve cyber resilience.”

Balancing Act

However, Michal Szymczak, head of AI strategy at Zartis, noted that Labour’s pledge signals a shift towards more stringent AI regulation, aligning the UK more closely with the EU’s AI Act, possibly to its detriment.

“Are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater here? The new government’s approach to AI regulation will be a heavier hand — maybe too heavy.

“It appears intent on aligning the UK’s approach to AI intervention more closely with the EU’s AI Act. Given how rushed this bill was, the wisdom behind any attempts at this parity is questionable at best.”

He also cautioned against overly harsh regulations that could stifle innovation, especially for startups — a sentiment echoed by Paul Henninger, head of connected technology at KPMG UK.

Henninger said: “It’s vital that businesses retain enough freedom to experiment and develop innovative new ways to use AI without fear of doing something unknowingly illicit. This balance is achievable only if industry is consulted and nuances between different sectors are considered.”

Bukki Adedapo, Fiverr’s international expansion lead, reiterated the importance of balanced regulation that doesn’t hinder innovation: “A new AI Bill must ensure that any new guardrails are not so stringent that they stifle innovation.”

He added that AI skills are increasingly driving hiring trends in the UK; “80% of UK businesses are saying they will offer higher salaries for AI skills in their drive to capitalise on the technology,” she said.

He stressed that the Government’s new AI bill, only briefly mentioned in the King’s speech, “must ensure a balance between safety and transparency, with AI’s clear potential and opportunity.”

Knowledge gap

Arun Kumar, UK regional director of ManageEngine, shares those sentiments and adds by acknowledging the current knowledge gap among IT professionals regarding GenAI technologies.

“Our recent research showed 45% of IT professionals only have a basic understanding of GenAI technologies, and most don’t have governance frameworks in place for AI implementation,” he said.

Kumar suggested that new regulations could help bridge this gap, enabling businesses to leverage AI for growth while maintaining safety and ethical standards.

Daniel Pell, VP and country manager of UK&I at Workday, also mentioned that developing and implementing responsible AI technology is critical for economic growth and productivity.

He also emphasised the need to overcome the trust barrier for successful AI adoption and pointed out that most UK employees and leaders are concerned about AI trust.

“93% of both UK employees and leaders have concerns relating to trust in AI today. Overcoming this is critical, as AI can only reach its full potential if it is responsible, trusted and aligned to business outcomes,” he said.

He concluded by calling on the government to utilise AI efficiently to leverage a potential productivity boost of £119 billion, “At a time when the UK has struggled to make meaningful productivity growth for a decade and a half, we must do all we can to develop and implement the responsible AI technology that can unlock this productivity windfall.”

With the King’s speech done and dusted, stay updated with TechInformed’s ‘Year of Elections’ coverage by visiting our dedicated hub of election content.