EU approves controversial AI Act to mixed reactions

The European Parliament today approved the AI Act, the first ever regulatory framework governing the use of AI systems. The legislation passed with an overwhelming majority of 523 votes in favour, 46 against and 49 abstentions.

"This is a historic day," said Italian lawmaker Brando Benifei, co-lead on the AI Act. "We have the first regulation in the world which puts a clear path for safe and human-centric development of AI."

The AI Act will categorise AI systems into...

13 March 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

AIs in India will need government permission before launching

In an advisory issued by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) last Friday, it was declared that any AI technology still in development must acquire explicit government permission before being released to the public.

Developers will also only be able to deploy these technologies after labelling the potential fallibility or unreliability of the output generated.

Furthermore, the document outlines plans for implementing a "consent popup"...

4 March 2024 | Applications

UK and France to collaborate on AI following Horizon membership

The UK and France have announced new funding initiatives and partnerships aimed at advancing global AI safety. The developments come in the wake of the UK's association with Horizon Europe, a move that was broadly seen as putting the divisions of Brexit in the past and the repairing of relations for the good of the continent.

French Minister for Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, is scheduled to meet with UK Secretary of State Michelle Donelan in London today for...

29 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UK Home Secretary sounds alarm over deepfakes ahead of elections

Criminals and hostile state actors could hijack Britain's democratic process by deploying AI-generated "deepfakes" to mislead voters, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly cautioned in remarks ahead of meetings with major tech companies. 

Speaking to The Times, Cleverly emphasised the rapid advancement of AI technology and its potential to undermine elections not just in the UK but globally. He warned that malign actors working on behalf of nations like Russia and Iran could generate...

26 February 2024 | Applications

UK announces over £100M to support ‘agile’ AI regulation

The UK government has announced over £100 million in new funding to support an "agile" approach to AI regulation. This includes £10 million to prepare and upskill regulators to address the risks and opportunities of AI across sectors like telecoms, healthcare, and education. 

The investment comes at a vital time, as research from Thoughtworks shows 91% of British people argue that government regulations must do more to hold businesses accountable for their AI systems. The...

6 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Experts from 30 nations will contribute to global AI safety report

Leading experts from 30 nations across the globe will advise on a landmark report assessing the capabilities and risks of AI systems. 

The International Scientific Report on Advanced AI Safety aims to bring together the best scientific research on AI safety to inform policymakers and future discussions on the safe development of AI technology. The report builds on the legacy of last November's UK AI Safety Summit, where countries signed the Bletchley Declaration agreeing to...

1 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UK and Canada sign AI compute agreement

The UK and Canada have signed a landmark agreement to collaborate on the computing power needed to advance AI research and development. 

The new Memorandum of Understanding on compute was signed in Ottawa by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Canadian Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry François-Phillippe Champagne. It cements the two countries' partnership on AI by committing them to explore ways to give researchers and companies affordable access to the...

31 January 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

AI-generated Biden robocall urges Democrats not to vote

An AI-generated robocall impersonating President Joe Biden has urged Democratic Party members not to vote in the upcoming primary on Tuesday.

Kathy Sullivan – a prominent New Hampshire Democrat and former state party chair – is calling for the prosecution of those responsible, describing the incident as "an attack on democracy."

The call began with a dismissive "What a bunch of malarkey," a phrase that’s become associated with the 81-year-old president. It then...

23 January 2024 | Applications

IMF: AI could boost growth but worsen inequality

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that AI could boost global productivity and growth, but may displace jobs and worsen inequality.

In a new analysis, IMF economists examined AI's potential impact on the global labour market. While many studies foresee jobs being automated by AI, the technology will often complement human work instead. The IMF analysis weighs up both scenarios.  

The findings are striking: almost 40 percent of jobs globally are...

15 January 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI: Copyrighted data ‘impossible’ to avoid for AI training

OpenAI made waves this week with its bold assertion to a UK parliamentary committee that it would be "impossible" to develop today's leading AI systems without using vast amounts of copyrighted data.

The company argued that advanced AI tools like ChatGPT require such broad training that adhering to copyright law would be utterly unworkable.

In written testimony, OpenAI stated that between expansive copyright laws and the ubiquity of protected online content, "virtually...

9 January 2024 | Artificial Intelligence