Risks when Using AI and the Regulatory Outlook

AI seems to be everywhere these days, whether in a substantive fashion, or as a thinly veiled attempt to latch on to the latest trend. Time and again, we’ve seen how difficult it can be to regulate fast developing technologies, and this is certainly no less the case with AI.

While some progress is being made in terms of regulating AI, particularly in the EU in the form of the Artificial Intelligence Act and with the establishment of the AI Office, the UK has so far taken a more hands-off approach, favouring greater self-regulation. That being said, it is possible that, under the new Labour Government, we will see a change in the UK’s legal stance on AI in the coming months and years.

Taken broadly, the regulatory forecast for AI seems to be split into two. Larger organisations and public bodies should expect to face more regulation designed to govern their use of AI. Smaller organisations, on the other hand, appear to be the target of policy changes aimed at making the UK a more competitive place for AI development in the future.

In the absence of a more mature regulatory landscape for AI in the UK, businesses using it must take great care to avoid, or at least minimise, risks in key areas including intellectual property, data protection, and discrimination in order to avoid liability and reputational damage. To find out more, take a look at our latest Blog post here.