Existing laws are not sufficient to protect human rights from AI-created threats, peers and MPs warn today. In a call on the government to introduce an ‘AI-specific legal framework’ applying to all sectors of society, the Joint Committee on Human Rights says the potential dangers mean the regulation should take a cautious approach.
The call comes amid warnings from AI developers themselves about the technology’s dangers – potentially including the extinction of humankind. The Joint Committee on Human Rights notes that existing UK laws covering AI are fragmented and focus liability on those responsible for deploying AI rather than developers of systems.
This means that existing laws do not take due account of the complexity of the AI lifecycle and supply chain and are not directed to the actor that may be best placed to identify and avert the source of risks, the report states. They are therefore likely to allow human rights harm that could have been prevented.
Among the dangers cited during the committee’s call for evidence was the risk that the use of AI systems in court proceedings could imperil the right to a fair trial under article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
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The committee concludes that the government should introduce a new AI bill, as promised in the 2024 King’s speech, ‘to place AI regulation on a sound basis’ along the lines of the Council of Europe’s non-binding framework convention. Committee chair Alex Sobel MP said: ‘AI is heralded as an unprecedented era of technological development with the potential to transform our lives for better or for worse.’
Alex Sobel MP added that ‘nowhere in the world, including the UK, has a current legislative and regulatory approach to AI that is fit for purpose. New legislation is needed to establish a set of protections that deal with the entire AI supply chain and its lifecycle. A single AI regulator should be established to set policy, monitor performance and with the authority to ensure enforcement.’
The committee’s recommendations are directed at the government, which has promised to introduce new AI legislation. The government’s response to the committee’s report will be closely watched, as it will have significant implications for the development and use of AI in the UK.
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