The UK Labour Government has pledged in its manifesto to impose statutory requirements on companies developing frontier AI systems, but has repeatedly delayed the introduction of the law, adding some concerns about how the Trump administration will receive it.
This week’s deal will further complicate the UK’s efforts to implement its own AI law, according to four industry representatives who were given anonymity to speak up openly. In an AI action plan this summer, the Trump administration criticized other countries that “AI is too important to suffocating the bureaucracy.”
But Kyle, who oversaw the UK’s technology division until the remodeling took place earlier this month, added that the agreement “absolutely” prevented UK lawmakers from legislating AI, and his successor as technology secretary Liz Kendall “sees exactly what legislative needs are in the future.”
Instead, Kyle said the UK and the US will focus on identifying opportunities to regulate “tandem” in “emerging technologies and emerging fields,” despite a “philosophical approach to regulation.”
“We are very proactive in searching for areas where we can more closely align the regulatory approach between the US and the UK. This makes the company, the scientific knowledge base and commercial activity between the two countries very quick,” Kyle said.
