UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing criticism from lawmakers over concerns that his administration has deprioritized AI safety regulation. Under the previous administration of Keir Starmer, officials explored mandatory pre-launch safety testing for advanced models and allocated £115 million for an AI biosecurity and incident response center, but those legislative efforts stalled amid political turnover.
Upon taking office, Burnham abolished the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), transferring lead AI minister Kanishka Narayan to the Cabinet Office. Critics, including House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Chair Chi Onwurah, argue that the government’s focus on domestic economic issues has left the UK ill-prepared for potential AI risks.
The policy shift marks a change from the UK’s previous proactive stance on global AI governance, leaving future regulatory oversight and enforcement capabilities uncertain under the current government.
Why it matters
The restructuring of UK tech departments creates regulatory uncertainty for AI companies operating in Britain.
Discontinued draft legislation delays potential mandatory safety testing regimes for frontier model developers.
Source: theguardian.com
