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ARTICLE · 18 JULY 2024

The UK's AI Balancing Act: Regulators, Principles And Pragmatism

Gowling WLG
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The King's Speech announced plans to strengthen AI regulation, likely involving safety checks on foundational models. Continuing the previous government's sector-specific approach, existing regulators will enforce principles such as safety, transparency, fairness, accountability, and contestability across AI applications.

United KingdomTechnology
Kieran Laird
Kieran Laird
Lara Epsley
Lara Epsley
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In the King's speech today, the new Government promised to legislate to strengthen regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). Although it did not give many details, it is likely that this will involve safety checks on the 'foundational models' which underlie specific AI applications.

As such, the approach taken by the previous Government in relation to specific sectors is likely to continue for a while.

As the new Government begins to set out its plans for the coming Parliamentary session, this article considers the themes which emerge from the plans developed by regulators and what the future may have in store for AI regulation under the new Government.

In March 2023, amid predictions that the UK AI market would exceed 1 trillion USD by 2035, the previous UK Government published a White Paper on AI regulation setting out its vision for a regulatory framework, reliant on collaboration between the Government, regulators and business.

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