Artificial Intelligence: UK Preparedness

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

The noble and gallant Lord is absolutely right. That is why, last year, the Government set up the Sovereign AI Unit to strengthen the UK’s domestic AI capability and ensure that British firms can compete and lead globally. We supported it with £500 million. It backs high-potential UK start-ups and scale-ups, helping them to become national AI champions in strategically important sectors. Its sole purpose is to secure the UK’s ability to access, shape and, where necessary, control critical AI capabilities, protecting national interests, enhancing resilience and driving long-term economic growth.

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

My Lords, given the Government’s promise to consult and legislate on artificial general intelligence and superintelligence, which experts warn could lead to the extinction of humans, what indication can my noble friend the Minister give us of a timetable for such legislation in the forthcoming parliamentary Session?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

The Government are adopting a proportionate, context-based approach to regulation. By empowering existing regulators to apply cross-cutting principles such as safety, fairness and transparency, we ensure that oversight is tailored to specific sectoral risks rather than a one-size-fits-all model. This framework improves innovation while maintaining credible and forcible safeguards. We remain in constant dialogue with industry and civil society to ensure a regulatory regime evolves in lockstep with technological advancement.