Louise Haigh, the first secretary, will use a speech at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference on Tuesday to argue that ministers must "heed the warnings" from industry leaders about the risks posed by artificial intelligence even as the government seeks to capitalise on the technology.
Haigh is expected to set out the potential benefits of AI for the UK economy and public services while stressing that safety and risk mitigation will remain a priority for ministers. The intervention reflects the government’s effort to balance promoting innovation with addressing growing concerns about the technology’s harms.
The call for caution comes amid renewed pressure from Labour MPs and peers for the UK to step up cooperation with international partners on AI regulation. Those appeals followed public warnings from three researchers at the AI firm Anthropic, who said advanced artificial intelligence could, in their view, pose an existential threat to humanity within the decade.
Government ministers face a complex task: fostering the development and adoption of AI that could bring productivity gains and public‑sector improvements, while working with global partners and industry figures to design regulatory frameworks intended to reduce catastrophic and other significant risks. Haigh’s address is likely to underline that the UK intends to pursue both objectives simultaneously.