The government's approach contrasts with the European Union, which recently agreed on the final text of its own risk-based framework for regulating AI. The UK government's strategy is to allow developers room to innovate and grow in the UK, while the EU believes businesses thrive on legal certainty. The UK government also announced £2 million in Arts & Humanities Research Council funding for new research projects and £19 million for 21 projects to develop innovative AI and machine learning solutions.
Key takeaways:
- The U.K. government is publishing its response to an AI regulation consultation, indicating a preference for relying on existing laws and regulators, combined with “context-specific” guidance, to supervise the high tech sector.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) plans to provide over £100 million in extra funding to bolster AI regulation and stimulate innovation, including £10 million for regulators to upskill and £90 million to establish nine research hubs.
- The government has no plans to introduce new legislation for artificial intelligence yet, instead empowering existing regulators to address AI risks in a targeted way.
- The U.K. government is also announcing a £9 million investment via the International Science Partnerships Fund to bring together researchers and innovators in the U.K. and the U.S. to focus on developing safe, responsible, and trustworthy AI.