The UK government is taking steps to draft regulations that will govern artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on the most powerful language models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This move is aimed at limiting potential harms associated with this emerging technology.
Officials at the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology are in the initial stages of developing legislation to address the regulation of AI. While there is no imminent bill, the government is likely to wait for an AI conference to be hosted by France later this year or early next year before launching a consultation on the topic.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who hosted the first world leaders’ summit on AI last year, has emphasized the importance of not rushing to regulate AI. However, there is a risk of falling behind the US and the European Union, both of which have already implemented regulations in this area.
In addition to the broader legislation on AI, officials are also considering amending UK copyright laws to allow companies and individuals to opt out of language models scraping their content. This is a matter of particular concern for the entertainment industry.
While Sunak’s office has not yet decided on launching a consultation regarding the copyright issue, there remains a disagreement between the creative industries and technology firms on this matter. When asked about the government’s plans for AI legislation, a spokesman mentioned that while there is no rush to introduce such legislation, it is clear that all countries will eventually need to do so.
At last year’s UK-hosted AI summit, several nations, including the US, China, and 26 others, agreed to collaborate in protecting against the potential risks of artificial intelligence causing catastrophic harm. This ongoing effort reflects the global awareness of the need for responsible AI development and regulation.
