The inaugural speech of the new era of Labour government delivered by King Charles III did not include the introduction of a bill on artificial intelligence; however, the new administration has committed to establishing legislation aimed at placing requirements on those developing the most potent AI models. Detailed plans and draft laws for various measures, such as the English Devolution Bill, the Digital Information and Smart Data Bill, and the Great British Energy Bill, were outlined in the speech, among others. The King emphasized the government’s focus on boosting sustainable growth and investment in industry, skills, and new technologies.
Notably, the Employment Rights Bill aims to ban zero-hours contracts, while the National Wealth Fund Bill intends to unlock private investment for future industries. The Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill aims to strengthen cyber-defenses within companies and enhance regulators’ power, while the Skills England Bill seeks to enhance skills training. The king pledged to kickstart economic growth by bolstering the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility.
Leaders in the industry like David Shepherd, senior vice president of EMEA at Ivanti, believe that clear and globally consistent guardrails are essential to ensure that regulations effectively foster innovation while maintaining safety, making the announcement of intentions to establish AI legislation significant. Similarly, others like PwC’s Leigh Bates note that the most powerful AI models’ providers will have to comply with new and legally binding principles focusing on safeguarding the technology’s use. However, Dr Marc Warner, CEO at Faculty AI, warns against excessive regulation stifling technological innovation.
There were also announcements concerning workers’ rights, energy, and devolution. For instance, the Employment Rights Bill adopting the New Deal for Working People proposals and the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter will ensure that the government implements a new legal framework to raise employment standards. Meanwhile, GB Energy will pave the way for more local distribution networks, reducing energy prices and accelerating decarbonisation.
Overall, the King’s speech described several new Bills that reflect the new administration’s priorities, and their implementation will undoubtedly impact industries across the UK.
