Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to prohibit the promotion of AI chatbots that have been (a) programmed and (b) taught through self-learning to encourage users to commit terrorist acts.

We set out our regulatory approach in the AI Regulation White Paper, published in March 2023. The framework set out in the AI regulation White Paper aims to promote innovation while ensuring the government can adapt and respond proactively and coherently to the risks and opportunities that emerge as AI technology develops at pace. The upcoming PM-led AI Safety Summit, taking place on 1^st & 2^nd November 2023, will bring together major tech companies with leaders from around the world, to ensure the safe and reliable development and use of AI globally.

Rapid work is underway across government to deepen our understanding of the risks and to promote effective safety features through the lifecycle of AI products. We are carefully considering the impact that AI may have on different crime types including terrorism. The government is firmly committed to improving our understanding and tackling Generative AI technologies’ impact on radicalisation. This includes engaging with the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.

The Home Office engages regularly with many companies developing Generative AI technologies on a range of critical public safety issues, including terrorism and radicalisation, to promote online safety-by-design. We will continue to develop safeguards and mitigations, working closely with international partners, civil society and academia, and we look forward to the outcomes of the AI Safety Summit in accelerating this important work.