UK Announces £100M Investment in AI Regulation

story

Feb 06, 2024

Image copyright: Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated Feb 06

The Facts

The UK government has announced an investment of more than £100M ($126M) to educate regulators on artificial intelligence (AI). £10M will go towards enhancing the skills of regulators — including the Office of Communications (OFCOM) and the Competition and Markets Authority — with another £90M ($113M) funding nine research programs focused on fields such as healthcare, chemistry, and mathematics.
On top of the research programs, which will also focus on the education, telecom, and finance sectors, an additional £19M ($23M) will be allocated toward 21 projects concerning AI trust and safety. The government last year decided to educate existing regulators on the matter of AI rather than create a new regulator.

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The UK has decided to take a cautious, research-based approach to tackle AI rather than a knee-jerk decision to pass laws. With the goal of becoming a world leader in AI technology, London must be careful not to overlegislate its technology sector, which would stifle innovation and its economic benefits. The UK also knows that the AI debate is still ongoing throughout the world, with governments and business leaders working to pinpoint the best response to this complex technology.

The Register

Establishment-critical narrative

The first draft of the UK's AI white paper was released almost a year ago, and still no concrete action has been taken. As the government spends £100M on thinking about AI, leaders in countries like Canada are proposing a billion-dollar program to create a government supercomputer to compete with private tech companies. While worries about overregulating too quickly are understandable, the UK's approach of doing nothing will neither boost innovation nor enhance safety.