Greg Clark, outgoing chairman of the Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee, has cautioned that regulators for artificial intelligence (AI) in the UK are “under-resourced” compared to the developers of the technology. This warning comes amidst concerns about the significant gap between regulators and the financial resources available to major AI developers.
In a report issued by the committee on the governance of AI, it was highlighted that the £10 million allocated by the government in February to support Ofcom and other regulators in responding to the technology’s expansion was deemed “clearly insufficient.” The committee urged the next government to announce additional financial backing that is commensurate with the scale of the task at hand.
Furthermore, the committee expressed concerns regarding the AI Safety Institute’s purported inability to access certain developers’ models for pre-deployment safety testing. They called on the next government to publicly name developers who refuse access, as agreed upon at the November 2023 summit at Bletchley Park, and to report their reasons for refusal.
Former business secretary Greg Clark emphasized the importance of testing AI models for biases, as biases may not be evident during the model construction phase. He stressed the need for the next government to take decisive action, including potential legislation, if regulators are found to lack the necessary statutory powers to be effective.
The report also urged the government and regulators to take stringent enforcement measures against online platforms hosting deepfake content, which poses a threat to the integrity of the democratic process during election campaigns.
Additionally, the report highlighted the significant challenge posed by AI operating as a “black box,” where the basis and reasoning behind its output remain unknowable.
In response, the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology underscored the UK’s commitment to regulating AI and enhancing regulator capabilities as part of a broader £100 million funding initiative.
