- The U.K. government has published a white paper for the artificial intelligence industry.
- It calls on regulators to come up with “tailored, context-specific approaches that suit the way AI is actually being used in their sectors.”
- AI, which contributes an estimated £3.7 billion to the U.K. economy, must comply with existing laws and not discriminate against individuals or create unfair commercial outcomes, the government said Wednesday.
- The arrival of the recommendations comes as generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have driven a wave of demand for the technology.
The U.K. government on Wednesday published recommendations for the artificial intelligence industry, outlining an all-encompassing approach for regulating the technology at a time when it has reached frenzied levels of hype.
In the white paper, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) outlined five principles it wanted companies to follow. They are: safety, security and robustness; transparency and explainability; fairness; accountability and governance; and contestability and redress.
Rather than establishing new regulations, the government is calling on regulators to apply existing regulations and inform companies about their obligations under the white paper.
It has tasked the Health and Safety Executive, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and the Competition and Markets Authority with coming up with “tailored, context-specific approaches that suit the way AI is actually being used in their sectors.”
“Over the next twelve months, regulators will issue practical guidance to organisations, as well as other tools and resources like risk assessment templates, to set out how to implement these principles in their sectors,” the government said.
“When parliamentary time allows, legislation could be introduced to ensure regulators consider the principles consistently.”