The world around us is changing fast. One of those changes is the rise in the prominence and use of AI (Artificial Intelligence). the uses to which AI is being used today are growing and expanding into every sphere of our lives.
Talk of AI fills some people with hope and some with dread, but it is a part of our world today and will evermore be so in the future, bringing a fundamental transformation of our lives and the global economy based on new ways of organising intelligence.
To address these concerns, the government has to show people the benefits of AI in their everyday work and the everyday services we use and depend on. Doing so is the fastest way to encourage people to use and embrace AI for the good it can do, whilst remaining mindful of the potential pitfalls and risks.
What if we could use AI to save frontline public servants from doing paperwork, freeing them up to work with members of the public instead? For example, tools are already starting to be used to automate large parts of the casework note-taking process; isn’t that a good thing? Or, what if expanding the use of AI in vehicles could make our roads safer and reduce injury and death on the road?
Britain has many cutting-edge businesses involved with AI. However, innovation needs to be converted into commercial success, which is why Labour will ensure our industrial strategy supports the development of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector. We will create a National Data Library to link existing research programmes and help deliver data-driven public services.
Like any system, there is the risk of failure, bias and inappropriate use, so there is a corresponding need for governance, oversight and strong safeguards.
The Labour government will ensure the safe development and use of AI models by introducing binding regulations on the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI models.
The government has pledged to work with technology companies to reduce online fraud, making everyone safer when using digital services in our everyday lives. It is also committed to introducing further protections for individuals online when using social media, particularly children and young people, and will ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.
The future uses of AI, good and bad, are only now just being imagined. But the genie is already out of the bottle, so you can be sure that the government under Labour will work to ensure the use of AI is safe, ethical, and under control. It will use the power of AI to deliver the best outcomes for citizens, people in the workplace, and the future prosperity of our nation and Britain’s economy.
Clive Harriss, Vice-Chair, Cheltenham Labour Party