A cross-party group of UK MPs and peers has called for new legislation to address growing human rights risks linked to artificial intelligence (AI), warning that existing laws are no longer adequate to regulate the rapidly developing technology.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has recommended a new AI Bill to “address the scale and seriousness” of the threats posed by the technology.
“Nowhere in the world, including the UK, has a current legislative and regulatory approach to AI that is fit for purpose,” said Labour MP and committee chair Alex Sobel.
The committee said AI has already contributed to several human rights abuses, including the creation of sexualised images of women and girls and the use of facial recognition technology without people’s consent.
It also called for the creation of a “single, independent AI oversight body… on a statutory basis”, arguing that the current legal framework is “fragmented and difficult to navigate”, “leaving gaps in protection”.
The JCHR further recommended “more demanding obligations for higher risk AI systems and models” throughout the “AI lifecycle”.
It said some uses of AI should be prohibited outright because they are incompatible with human rights.
“Potential areas for action include subliminal techniques, and inappropriate use of profiling or biometric data.”
Mr Sobel said, “AI is heralded as an unprecedented era of technological development with the potential to transform our lives for better or for worse”.
He added that “It is moving with such speed and complexity that its impact is hard to accurately predict. What is clear is that at present we are unprepared to deal with its consequences however potentially dire they may be”.
The report comes amid growing concerns about AI-related risks, including bias, misinformation and the misuse of personal data.
The UK government has previously pledged to introduce legislation to regulate the development and use of powerful AI models.
However, no dedicated AI Bill was included in this year’s King’s Speech.
Labour Education Minister Georgia Gould said the government recognised the opportunities created by AI but was focused on “responding to those risks” and keeping pace with the technology’s development.
