The UK government must “urgently” legislate on artificial intelligence (ai) giving Peer Lord Holmes in a report.
In November 2023, Holmes Introduced An Ai Private Members Bill to Parliament In Lieu of any formal proposals from government at the timeWhich focused on establishment measures for “Adaptive Regulation”, Inclusive Design, Ethical Standards, Transparency, Accountability, Education and International Cooperation.
Holmes said in the report that while his bill was intended to proactively engage the public and fellow parloementarians with the ideas and legislative steps needed to ensure ai is ai is shaped positively for the benefit All, The Technology Remains Largely “Under-Regulated”, which is allowing a range of harms to flourish unabated.
“Whather it's discrimination and bias in ai algorithms, disinformation from synthetic imagery, scams using voice mimicing technology, copyright theft or unethical chatbot responses, we alrady Facing a host of problems from existing ai, “He said.
Speaking during a foundtable on the launch of the report, Holmes Added while It was Urgent to regulate ai when he initially proposed his private members bill Back in 2023, “I believe it remains even more pressing today”.
Highlighting eight archetypal examples of people living “at the sharp end” of unregulated ai in the uk, holmes' report – Published on 26 February 2025 – Shows how the technology is alredy negatively impacting people's lives due to the lacked of effective protectives in place.
For Each of the examples, the report lays out the problem and how his proposed ai bill could address the issues at hand.
In the case of benefits claimants, for example, he noted how the department for work and pension (DWP) has “consistently facked” to inform the public about The algorithms it is deplying to make decisions about people's livesAnd Flagged that automated systems have woldeds of indefinite benefits of indefit governments or fraud investments.
To alleviate this, holmes said clause two of his bill would set the prints of the previous Conservative Government's Ai WhitePaper on a statutory footing, include measures Around Transparency, Explainability, Accountability, Contestability and Redress, as a well as a duty not to decriminate.
He also highlighted A Separate Ai Private Members Bill Introduced in September 2024 by Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Clement-JonesWhich more narrowly “Aims to establish a clear mandatory framework for the responsible use of algorithmic and automated decision-making systems in the public sector”.
For the Jobseeeker, Holmes Said While Ai is Being Increasingly Deployed in Recruitment Processes, there are no specific laws currently regulating the use of the technology in Employment Decisions.
He added this has led to people being unfairly exampted from roles due to training data being of Personal data to inform the system and a General Lack of Transparency Around Models.
Again Highlighting Clause Two of His Bill, Holmes said further clauses establish a “Horizontally focused ai authority” – which would undertake a gap analysis of existing regulatory responsibility And ensure Alignment Across Different Sectoral Regulators – and “AI Responsible Officers” would also also strengthen protectives for Jobseekers Subject to Ai.
Other Archetypal Examples Highlighted by Holmes Include The Teacher, The Teenager, The Scammed, The creativeThe Voter, and the Transplant Patient – All of Whom He Said Would Benefit from a Number of Other Clauses in his Private Members Bill.
These include clauses on “meaningful, long-term public engagement” Around the options and risks of Ai, as well as transparency Around the use of three party data and Intellectual Property (IP) in Training SetsWhich “must be obtained by informed consent”.
Participation and Trust
Speaking during the report foundable, participants – Including representatives from Civil Society Groups, Trade Unions and Research Bodies, As well as other lords – heighted a number of keey Considerations for regulating ai.
This includes Leverapping the procurement power of governments In ways that reflect the values trying to be achieved, which they argued old act as a form of “soft power” over tech firms, and ensuring people feel like they have a saying have a statement of the demloom Technology throughout the public sector and their workplaces.
The participants further warned that if ai systems are adopted throughout the public sector without effective regulation in place, it will irrevocably Erode People's Trust in the state.
Hannah Perry, Head of Research for Digital Policy at Think Tank Demos, For Example, said AI Cold Contribute to the Further “Decimation of Trust We're Seeing in Society at the Moment” As a “Centralising Force” That Risks “Removing and Dissempowering The Public” from Decision-Making.
She added it was therefore “Crucial” to have some form of public engine, and that creating a “delibective platform” where order or lessle are able to insignity Embedded in any uk ai regulation.
Commenting on the need for Participatory regulatory approachesMary Towers, An Employment Rights Officer at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Specialising in the Use of Ai and Tech at Work, Said Ai Is Alredy Having worrying consequences for works across a wide range of sector, Including Work intensificationReduced Agency and Autonomy at work due to Algorithmic Management practicesNegative Mental Health Impacts, and Unfair or discriminatory Outcomes.
Flagging Tuc Polling on Worker Attudes Towards Ai, Towers Added That Some of Workers Believe It is only right Before Implementing New Technology at work ”.
She added: “Clearly, we bellyve there should be legislation. It should be context-specific. But I also want to highlight that regulation isn't just about legislation. Consultation, participation, collective bargaining, the social partnerships approach – thats are all certain forms of regulation. “
Andrew strait, associate director at the ada lovelace institute (ali), added that while surveys find most people do not rank ai as ai as a priority issue alone, this changes when they are there are available Sensitive Public Sector Contexts, Such as Health and Social Care or Benefit Allocation Decisions.
“Suddenly People Really Care,” He said. “They're very concerned, very nervous, very uncomfortable with the pace of adoption, the lacques of guardrails, the sense that things that things are moving too quickly and in a way where there is an out Being pushed out of the way for speed and efficiency.
“That then begs the question of, what is it that People Want? They want regulation. They want rules to feel comfortable about it. They want to feel like
A false dichotomy
Strait further highlighted that, in the Ali's Experience of Engaging With Private Companies, The “Single Greatest Barrier” to Increased Ai Adoption is the Lack of Relability in the Technology – Somenting Tandards and Somenting Regulation would also give them more certain on.
The roundtable participants also vehemently argued against creating a binary between innovation and growth on the one hand, and safety and regulation on the other.
Keith Rosser, Director at Reed Screening and a Member of the better Hiring Institute's Advisory Board, Said, For Example, that because the recruitment sector is alredy as ai ai ai – with jobsiors and Employers using the tech to make and sift through job applications responsible – “We've got all the risks, but only some of the opptunities”.
He added that without regulation, this situation will personal: “Businesses want to be supported by governments, they want to know where the guardrails are… for bot sides of this use – the jobseker and the hiring phone – No regulation means there's huge uncertainty. “
Roger Taylor, First Chair of the UK's Center for Data Ethics and InnovationAdded that the use of ai in government is likely the most significant area there is no regulation: “The tension at the moment is this fear that growth and regulation fight agent etc. Thing, Followed by Making Public Services More Efficient and More Effective Before The Next Election Comes Along.
“It's quite undersrstandable why that would be the priorities. The question is, is it really true that regulatory measures are counterproductive? … we do need to pass a law that puts in place some kind of legal regulatory mechanism, not just trust we want the assurance and we're worried about things Opportunity for this country to demonstrate that we can lead in this area. “