Rights committee demands watchdog with teeth as patchwork safeguards leave victims hunting for remedies
UK lawmakers want an AI watchdog with the teeth to stop potentially dangerous systems reaching the public, warning that existing rules leave people exposed and struggling to hold anyone accountable.The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) – comprising MPs and peers – said that although a number of laws and regulations apply to some AI systems, the overall legal landscape is patchy and confused. No single body coordinates regulation of AI, leaving gaps that could make it difficult for people harmed by AI to obtain legal redress.Committee chair Alex Sobel MP said the speed and complexity of AI development made its impact hard to predict.
"What is clear is that at present we are unprepared to deal with its consequences however potentially dire they may be. Nowhere in the world, including the UK, has a current legislative and regulatory approach to AI that is fit for purpose. New legislation is needed to establish a comprehensive set of protections that deal with the entire AI supply chain and its lifecycle. A single AI regulator should be established to set policy, monitor performance and with the teeth to ensure enforcement."
