UK seeks evidence on data rules for AI adoption

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology has opened a call for evidence on how UK data regulation applies to AI and other data-intensive technologies. The government wants practical examples from businesses, researchers, civil society, academics and individuals on where legal, technical and governance arrangements support data use and where they create uncertainty, friction or risk.

The exercise is tied to the government’s goal of making the UK the fastest-adopting AI economy in the G7. It notes that data driven companies contributed £85 billion in GVA in 2022, while current frameworks including UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, the Digital Economy Act and sector-specific rules already shape how personal and non-personal data can be accessed, shared and reused.

Responses are sought across five themes: accessing and using data; data quality, accuracy and downstream impacts; governing data use across organisations; transparency and rights in complex data environments; and the effectiveness of data frameworks in regulating AI. The government is also seeking views on technologies such as agentic AI, synthetic data and privacy enhancing techniques, as well as barriers involving lawful bases, data minimisation, purpose limitation, rights and supply-chain accountability.

The call is open from 15 July 2026 and will close on 11:59pm on 9 September 2026, with online submissions preferred.