UK lawmakers demand new AI bill and independent regulator

A cross-party committee of UK lawmakers has called for a new artificial intelligence bill and the creation of a single, independent regulator with statutory powers, arguing that current laws are inadequate to address the technology's growing human rights risks. The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), comprising MPs and peers, published a report on Monday stating that no country, including the UK, has a legislative and regulatory approach to AI that is fit for purpose. The committee's report warns that AI poses specific threats, including non-consensual facial scanning, deepfakes, and biased disciplinary flagging. It argues that existing UK legislation primarily targets system users rather than developers, leaving regulators without the power to test or evaluate AI systems before public release. The committee recommends a new bill that would establish a risk-based regulatory regime, mandate transparency across the AI lifecycle, and prohibit certain uses incompatible with human rights, such as subliminal techniques and inappropriate biometric profiling.