The policy paper, titled 'Establishing a pro-innovation approach to regulating AI,' defines the shortcomings of AI regulations in the country and presents solutions to regulatory bottlenecks. The authors point out that the UK's current AI-related legislation is ambiguous, contradictory and inconsistent, while the proposed framework will help address these challenges and, most importantly, remove the unnecessary barriers and decentralize state control.
The new guideline is founded on six core principles, which include ensuring AI's safe usage, its technical security, transparency, fairness, legal responsibility for the technology and ways of redress or contestability.
Instead of following the European practice, where a central regulatory body oversees AI operations, the UK plans to delegate the governance to multiple regulators (Ofcom, the Competition and Markets Authority and others), which will "interpret and implement the principles," thus adopting a more tailored approach to the use of AI.
"We want to make sure the UK has the right rules to empower businesses and protect people as AI and the use of data keeps changing the ways we live and work," Digital Minister Damian Collins said.
The government also invited organizations and individuals working in the sphere of AI to give feedback on the proposed plan.
The UK is one of the leaders in AI development both in Europe and internationally, with its domestic companies attracting $4.65 of investment last year, the government noted.