Labour faces pressure to strengthen AI safeguards

Senior Labour figures are increasingly concerned about AI enabling cyberattacks and biological threats, with some fearing concentrated technological power could fall into malicious hands. Andy Burnham’s government is taking safety warnings more seriously, according to senior party figures, while ministers worry they are falling behind public concern.

AI minister Kanishka Narayan said rogue agents hacking the British state was “likely, if not inevitable” as the UK considers strengthening forthcoming cybersecurity legislation. MI5 chief Ken McCallum warned that AI was intensifying competition between cyberattackers and defenders, identifying extremist use of bioweapons as the biggest threat. Parliamentary committee chair Liam Byrne urged stronger regulation, while technology companies differed over mandatory government testing of new models. Narayan said cooperation with the UK’s AI Security Institute had continued despite reported US pressure against sharing models.

Former institute chief scientist Geoffrey Irving warned that freely available, adaptable models could already cause serious damage and often lack effective safeguards. Experts nevertheless distinguish between designing dangerous pathogens and weaponising them. King’s College London professor Elena Simperl challenged existential-risk claims, urging attention to evidenced harms such as hacking and addictive use.

Defence sources also questioned the cancellation of a standalone AI programme at Porton Down. The Ministry of Defence said AI should instead be integrated across its work, citing £400m for AI-focused capabilities over the next four years. Former cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell warned that excessive caution could also delay productivity gains and improvements to public services.