Anthropic · OpenAI · AI Safety Institute · BBC Technology
UK government rejects 'kill switch' idea for dangerous AI
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The UK government has rejected the idea of creating a so-called "kill switch" to stop a dangerous attack from rogue AI.
Key facts
- But the Cabinet Office
- the part of government which leads on AI safety
- said the UK "cannot simply turn AI off
- The Cabinet Office, which oversees AI safety and research via its AI Security Institute (AISI) said "companies have a clear responsibility to develop their products safely and to invest
- Speaking on 1 September in a debate in the House of Lords, Lord Clement-Jones proposed the idea along with other peers
- In theory, a kill switch law could allow the UK to switch off an AI model in data centres in the UK in an emergency
Summary
The proposal to create a legal mechanism for the UK to switch off an AI model in an emergency has been brought to Parliament by lords and MPs in recent weeks as fears grow about the threat the tech poses. But the Cabinet Office - the part of government which leads on AI safety - said the UK "cannot simply turn AI off". "Blocking access to models in the UK would not prevent them being developed or misused elsewhere", a spokesperson told BBC News. The government's opposition to the legislation does not prevent it from progressing through parliament, but makes it unlikely it will become law.