Lords call for AI 'kill switch' powers in UK
UK lawmakers are proposing new legislation that would grant the government power to deactivate AI systems and data centers during national security threats. The move follows growing concerns about AI's potential to compromise critical infrastructure and the rapid development of superintelligent systems.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift toward government-mandated 'kill switches' for AI, setting a potential global precedent for how nations regulate the safety of advanced autonomous technologies.
Image source, Getty Images By Zoe Kleinman Technology & AI editor Published 33 minutes ago A group of peers is calling for the British government to be able to deactivate powerful AI systems and switch off the country's data centres in the event of the tech posing a threat to national security.
It is led by the Liberal Democrats' Lord Tim Clement-Jones, who has proposed the measure as an amendment to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament.
He said it would enable the building of a "vital safety net" and provide a democratically accountable means to "halt a runaway system before it can compromise our critical national infrastructure".
He added the tool would only ever be used as a last resort.
It is one of 65 amendments to the same bill that was debated this week.
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