Minister to pledge government action on AI safety
A senior minister will tell the TUC the government will take AI risks seriously and work internationally on safety.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The government is to pledge that it will treat the risks of artificial intelligence as a priority, with a senior minister set to tell the TUC that public safety and national security will come first. Louise Haigh, the deputy to Andy Burnham, will deliver the speech after warnings from leading AI researchers about the pace of the technology's development.
The pledge involves working with international partners. However, there are questions about what that means given the dismissive attitude of the US president, Donald Trump, towards such warnings.
Andy Burnham, who was originally due to give the speech but could not after the death of his father, has not yet set out his own views on AI. He has abolished the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, though a separate minister for AI still attends the cabinet.
The speech comes amid growing concern in Westminster about the safety of AI, driven by recent warnings from senior figures involved in AI research. Louise Haigh is expected to acknowledge the potential benefits of the technology while stressing the need for caution.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | Sky News |
|---|---|---|
| The UK government, through Louise Haigh, said it will heed AI warnings and work with international partners to prioritise public safety and national security. | ||
| Andy Burnham abolished the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. | · | |
| Louise Haigh is deputising for Andy Burnham, who cancelled engagements after his father died. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the political uncertainty around the pledge, noting that the speech was originally to be given by Andy Burnham and that his position on AI is unknown. It also highlighted the challenge of cooperating with the US under President Trump, and the fact that the issue is rising up the Westminster agenda.
- “A senior minister is set to pledge that the government will take the risks of artificial intelligence seriously and work with other countries to prioritise public safety and national security.”
- “I don't think we really know what Andy Burnham, who was meant to be giving this speech at the TUC, but whose father sadly died, thinks particularly about AI on coming into office.”
- “I do think the simple fact that Louise Haigh, Andy Burnham's deputy, is talking about these warnings about the safety of AI in this speech attests to how this really is rocketing up the agenda here in Westminster”
Broadcast Timeline
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