MPs call for new AI legislation to protect human rights
A cross-party panel of MPs has urged the creation of a new artificial intelligence (AI) Bill “to address the scale and seriousness of threats posed to human rights” arising from the technology, reports BritPanorama.
In a report released on Monday, the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) outlined various risks that current legal and regulatory structures “are ill-equipped to prevent or respond to”.
According to the committee, existing UK legislation covering AI primarily targets system users rather than developers. This gap leaves oversight bodies lacking the necessary powers to evaluate tools before they are rolled out to the public.
The report also highlighted that the technology poses a risk to personal privacy and indicated the fundamental right of individuals to “seek effective remedy against decisions made against them”.
Labour MP Alex Sobel, chair of the JCHR, stated that AI “is moving with such speed and complexity that its impact is hard to accurately predict”.
He continued, “What is clear is that at present we are unprepared to deal with its consequences however potentially dire they may be. Nowhere in the world, including the UK, has a current legislative and regulatory approach to AI that is fit for purpose.”
“New legislation is needed to establish a comprehensive set of protections that deal with the entire AI supply chain and its lifecycle,” Mr Sobel said, adding that “a single AI regulator should be established to set policy, monitor performance and with the teeth to ensure enforcement.”
He emphasized that while the potential benefits of AI merit careful consideration, it is “important to ensure that regulation is proportionate and targets the areas of AI development and usage that pose the greatest risks”.
According to the committee, a new AI Bill should adopt a risk-based approach to addressing AI harms. This would include a regulatory regime that mandates stricter obligations for higher-risk AI systems and models, while outright prohibiting certain uses of AI that contradict human rights.
The JCHR also called for mandatory transparency requirements throughout all levels of the technology’s lifecycle and the establishment of an independent AI oversight body to monitor AI harms and risks, with robust powers to hold AI providers accountable.
“Fundamentally, this is about making sure that you, as an individual, know when AI is being used in the decisions that affect you,” Mr Sobel remarked. “We also want to make sure that if something does go wrong then avenues of redress will be available.”
He stressed, “We need these protections in now; it cannot wait until (these) human rights risks become reality.”
The report’s publication follows recent calls from industry leaders for a slowdown in AI development.
Anthropic boss Dario Amodei expressed concerns that AI has been “advancing drastically faster” since summer. He warned that within six to 12 months, AI could be capable of orchestrating a swarm that might dominate the internet.
Mr Amodei, whose company is behind the AI assistant Claude, proposed a three-part plan aimed at developing the technology at a more controlled pace. His essay, titled We Must Pace the Frontier, received support from other prominent figures in the industry, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner stated she was pleased that AI companies were “talking about the threats as well as the opportunities”, following the backing of the industry leaders for a slower pace of development.
The ongoing discussions underscore the urgent alignment needed between innovation and regulation in this rapidly evolving sector.
