Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of emerging cybersecurity risks as a result of public use of artificial intelligence technologies such as automated vehicles.

As AI adoption increases and cyber threats evolve, we must ensure systems are being developed securely and avoid putting personal safety or data at risk. The government’s approach is to ensure technology is ‘secure by design’ with minimum standards of cyber security built in to reduce the security burden on users. The new AI Cyber Security Code of Practice, produced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), is part of this approach and helps organisations develop and deploy AI systems securely.

The NCSC has also produced advice and guidance to help individuals understand the cyber security risks of using AI tools. The AI Security Institute builds on the expertise of our NCSC to understand how AI could be used to help malicious actors commit cyber attacks.

Cyber security is at the heart of the government’s priorities for the roll-out of automated vehicles. The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 places obligations on vehicle manufacturers to maintain vehicle software and ensure there are appropriate cyber security measures in place throughout its service life.