In a possible shift in policy, the UK government is expected to delay its plans to regulate artificial intelligence ("AI"), with indications that the UK may be seeking to align itself more in line with the Trump administration on its approach to AI and technology more generally (according to a recent article written by The Guardian). The news comes amidst significant recent political instability, which may of course have broader implications on how the UK aligns itself with the US in general.
The UK position on AI
The UK's long-anticipated 'official'/government led AI legislation is now not expected to appear in Parliament until the summer of 2025 (if at all), having originally been anticipated for the end of 2024.
However, Lord Holmes, who had originally introduced a Private Members' AI Bill in 2023 under the previous government, is attempting to revive the debate surrounding that Bill. As a Private Members' Bill, it is unlikely to become law (though it has been reintroduced and had its First Reading on 4 March 2025), but the debate may impact the UK government's overall direction on AI.
Lord Holmes stated that
"The ... government seems to have changed tack, siding instead with the US and Big Tech and there is no sign of the promised regulation on AI".
As indicated in the King's Speech last year and as we detailed in a previous update, the UK government stated that it intends to introduce 'appropriate' legislation to govern 'powerful artificial intelligence models', addressing concerns surrounding increasing risk accompanying rapidly evolving AI models.
The question has become not just when, but also if this will happen.
The US position under President Trump
President Trump's administration has taken a markedly different stance from former President Biden, by revoking an Executive Order aimed at regulating AI within the public sphere (indeed, the White House appears to no longer have a record of that Executive Order).
Instead, President Trump's new order also established an 'AI Action Plan'. This plan is expected to lead to an overall less strict regulatory framework than that of the EU, as indicated by the US administration's recent comments on the topic; Vice President JD Vance recently criticised Europe's proposed AI regulations during an AI summit in Paris, suggesting that 'excessive' regulation could inhibit innovation. Meanwhile, US states continue to pass their own AI laws (most recently, Virginia has passed its own AI Act which is a comprehensive artificial intelligence bill focused on preventing algorithmic discrimination).
In a move aligned more closely with the US, the UK government chose not to sign the Paris declaration, which was endorsed by several other countries. Under former President Biden's administration, both the UK and the US had signed the Council of Europe's 'AI Convention'.
Analysis
The delay in the UK's AI regulation plans reflects the broader geopolitical dynamics and the UK's strategic decision to align more closely with US policies.
As we have seen, the political landscape, particularly under the new administration in the US is fast-moving, and the UK's new position could again be subject to change; Prime Minister Starmer continues to balance tensions between the US and Europe, and there may be a question mark over its broader alignment with the US on AI and technology regulation in general.
We will continue to monitor how the UK government handles its commitments to form AI regulation with the reported desire to align with the US on AI. In other words, watch this space!
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