Rishi Sunak insists 'guardrails' will be put in place to regulate AI in bid to minimise risks to society
18 May 2023, 23:45 | Updated: 19 May 2023, 01:27
Rishi Sunak has insisted that "guardrails" will be put in place to regulate AI so the benefits can be reaped while minimising the risks to society.
The Prime Minister said the UK's regulation must evolve alongside the rapid developments in artificial intelligence as it poses a growing threat to jobs and disinformation.
His comments came after BT Group said it will cut up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade amid plans to shift to AI and automated services.
Chief executive Philip Jansen said the company would be a "huge beneficiary" of the technology and the rise of AI would help create jobs to replace those lost.
While he acknowledged that it presented risks, Mr Jansen said AI is "going to be as big as the internet and mobile phones".
He added that machines would still not replace humans entirely, saying: "We won't be in a situation where people feel like they're dealing with robots."
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Speaking during his trip to Japan, Mr Sunak said he expects his discussions with world leaders on AI to carry on at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
"If it's used safely, if it's used securely, obviously there are benefits from artificial intelligence for growing our economy, for transforming our society, improving public services," he said.
"But, as I say, that has to be done safely and securely, and with guardrails in place, and that has been our regulatory approach."
His comments mark a hardening in tone towards AI.
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The Government's policy paper on the technology published less than two months ago was titled "A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation".
It suggested that instead of enacting legislation it was preparing to require companies to abide by five “principles”.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "There's a recognition that AI is a problem that can't be solved by any one country acting unilaterally.
"The UK's approach is meant to be nimble and iterative because of the nature of AI.
"The starting point for us is safety and reassuring the public they can have the confidence in how AI is being used on their behalf."
