UK's Burnham urged to back international call for tougher AI rules

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government has been urged to back an international initiative for tougher artificial intelligence safety rules, amid growing concerns over the risks posed by the fast-progressing technology.

The UK has not signed a Finland-led declaration calling for AI to remain under human control and for mandatory pre-release testing of frontier models.

The proposal has the support of more than 20 countries including Germany, Canada and Ireland, but not that of the US and China, which dominate AI development.

It comes after a string of warnings about the risks to humanity posed by AI have heightened calls for co-ordinated action to slow down the pace of its development.

The prime minister will use his first United Nations General Assembly speech in New York on Tuesday to focus on AI's risks and opportunities.

He is seeking to position the UK as an "honest broker" in bringing countries together to address the issue.

But former cabinet minister Darren Jones urged the prime minister to go further by signing the Finnish declaration and to seek to broker an agreement with Washington on its implementation.

Jones, who served as chief secretary to Burnham's predecessor Sir Keir Starmer, said on X: "The list of signatories to the 'Call for Control of Frontier AI Models' are the UK's natural allies.

"The UK has special access to American AI models through the AI Security Institute, which is partly why the UK government will want to remain in lock step with the US.

"But I don't see any reason why the UK can't sign up to the Finnish proposal. I encourage our government to do so and to offer to broker agreement on its application with the US.

"The US and the UK are already at the forefront of pre-deployment testing, albeit on a voluntary basis.

"There should be a landing zone to agree mandatory testing of the frontier, with a solution built to enable this without undermining competitive advantage between companies and nations, or going too far with new compliance requirements on safe AI."

The cabinet office has been contacted for comment.

Burnham, ahead of his first meeting with Donald Trump in the margins of the UN General Assembly, said the UK could "find a role in finding that potential balance" between stifling AI through regulation and allowing new models to be released without safety measures.

He said he was aiming for a "sweet spot" between being a "doom monger" and being "careful".

"I would want to assure President Trump that we will take that approach," the premier said.

He said the UK was "uniquely positioned to play a leadership role on AI" given its close relationship with the US, deepening relationship with Europe and strong dialogue with China.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey will use his speech at his party's conference to call for a global treaty to press pause on super-intelligent AI as well as a new international AI safety agency modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency to stop anyone developing the technology recklessly.

Meanwhile, tech giants Meta, Google, OpenAI and Anthropic have been asked to give evidence to MPs as they examine questions including whether firms should be legally required to submit their AI models to independent safety testing before deploying them.

The House of Commons Business, Innovation, Science & Trade Committee has invited representatives from the companies to give evidence at an urgent hearing on October 13, as it concludes its inquiry into the UK's economic strategy for AI.

The panel will also consider topics such as whether companies accept mandatory reporting of serious safety incidents, including deceptive behaviour by AIs, and evidence of loss of human control.

The MPs will also explore what international requirements should be in place to prevent a "race to the bottom" in the industry.

In letters to the four companies – key players in the AI boom – the committee said trust had emerged as the core issue in its probe, both in AI security and safety and in ensuring workers and businesses would not lose out in an AI-powered economy.

Chair Liam Byrne wrote that "warnings of industry leaders and whistleblowers in recent weeks have demonstrated that the UK's public policy framework and international agreements are not yet fit for the future".

The companies have been asked to confirm by September 29 whether they will send representatives to the hearing and to provide written responses to the committee's questions in advance.

The firms have been approached for comment.

source: PA

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