AI: International Co-operation

Lord Alton of Liverpool Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

The UK is not a member of the World AI Cooperation Organization. We are carefully assessing its implications for UK interests in global AI governance and international technology standards. As yet, we have not seen any detailed proposals for its mandate or activities. We do believe that co-operation and dialogue is essential, including dialogue with China on all these matters.

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, in assessing the CCP’s AI global initiative, which the noble Baroness just referred to, will she look carefully at the 29 member states of that initiative, which include Putin’s Russia, the military dictatorship in Myanmar and regimes in Serbia, Cuba, Belarus and Nicaragua? Although it is important that we should co-operate with like-minded nations, will she reflect on how the Chinese Communist Party regime has deployed AI-powered facial recognition, deploys hundreds of millions of CCTV cameras in a surveillance state and has powered biometric harvesting and digital tracking to monitor its population? Is the alliance that we need not with like-minded democratic nations living up to the standards set by the Council of Europe’s suggestions on proper guardrails? Should we not be doing what the noble Baroness said before and developing our own sovereign approach to AI?

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

We are indeed co-operating with many like-minded allies and countries —for example, the G7 and the OECD, to which the noble Lord referred—on taking forward the AI principles. Those agreed standards are vital for the governance and the effective adoption of AI in all countries. As I mentioned in reference to the question from the noble Earl, we are not a member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. I did review its membership before answering this Question, so I am aware of that. This is a global technology; it is providing opportunities and threats globally. It is very important that, in respect of the UK, we provide advice to our companies and the public sector, so that we can be prepared both for the risks and the opportunities.