A group of UK peers wants the government to have a big red button for AI, and they’re not being metaphorical about it.
Lord Tim Clement-Jones, the Liberal Democrat peer, is leading an effort to amend the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill with provisions that would grant emergency powers to deactivate advanced AI systems and shut down data centres if they’re deemed a threat to national security.
What the proposals actually involve
The amendments being debated in the House of Lords would create a legal framework for government intervention when AI systems cross from “useful tool” into “existential concern” territory. The power wouldn’t just cover individual AI models. It extends to the physical infrastructure powering them, meaning entire data centres could be ordered offline if the situation warranted it.
The timing is deliberate. On September 8, 2026, Labour MP Alex Sobel plans to introduce a separate AI Security Bill, backed by the campaign group ControlAI. That bill takes things a step further by attempting to define “superintelligence” in legal terms for the first time and would prohibit its unfettered development.
