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United Kingdom AI

UK Will Refrain From Regulating AI 'in the Short Term' 10

The UK has said it will refrain from regulating the British artificial intelligence sector, even as the EU, US and China push forward with new measures. From a report: The UK's first minister for AI and intellectual property, Viscount Jonathan Camrose, said at a Financial Times conference on Thursday that there would be no UK law on AI "in the short term" because the government was concerned that heavy-handed regulation could curb industry growth. The announcement comes as executives and policymakers around the world debate how to regulate the emerging technology, which holds the promise of transforming many industries and driven the rise in large tech company valuations over the past year.

The EU has led the field, with its legislation on AI regulation expected to come into force before the end of this year. Beijing is also implementing measures to regulate the industry, while US President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order to promote "responsible innovation." Camrose added: "I would never criticise any other nation's act on this. But there is always a risk of premature regulation." In rushing to introduce industry controls, "you are not actually making anybody as safe as it sounds," he said. "You are stifling innovation, and innovation is a very very important part of the AI equation."
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UK Will Refrain From Regulating AI 'in the Short Term'

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  • by Press2ToContinue ( 2424598 ) on Thursday November 16, 2023 @01:04PM (#64010107)
    Ah, the UK's latest move in the AI saga – 'A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation,' or as I like to call it, 'Regulate? Ain't nobody got time for that!' It's like they took a leaf out of Douglas Adams' guide – not the Hitchhiker's one, but something along the lines of 'The Laissez-Faire Guide to AI: Don’t Panic and Keep Calm'.

    So, while the EU is busy knitting a cozy, intricate blanket of regulations, and the US and China are playing tug-of-war with their rulebooks, the UK decides to sit back, sip tea, and watch the AI garden grow – wild, untamed, and hopefully not turning into Audrey II from 'Little Shop of Horrors'.

    Remember the good ol' days when the most complex decision in tech was choosing between VHS and Betamax? Fast forward to 2023, and here we are, debating the ethics of AI like it's the season finale of 'Black Mirror'. The UK's stance? 'Let's not rush into anything – we might accidentally stifle the next Skynet... I mean, groundbreaking innovation!'

    But hey, in a world where AI can write poetry, paint like Picasso, and probably soon make a killer cup of Earl Grey, who needs regulations? It's not like AI ever went rogue in any sci-fi scenario, right? Cough HAL 9000 Cough.

    In conclusion, the UK's strategy seems to be: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and if it's going to bring in the big bucks, maybe just turn a blind eye and hope for the best.' After all, what's the worst that could happen? (Famous last words, courtesy of every disaster movie ever).
    • Ah, the UK's latest move in the AI saga – 'A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation,' or as I like to call it, 'Regulate? Ain't nobody got time for that!' It's like they took a leaf out of Douglas Adams' guide – not the Hitchhiker's one, but something along the lines of 'The Laissez-Faire Guide to AI: Don’t Panic and Keep Calm'.

      So, while the EU is busy knitting a cozy, intricate blanket of regulations, and the US and China are playing tug-of-war with their rulebooks, the UK decides to sit back, sip tea, and watch the AI garden grow – wild, untamed, and hopefully not turning into Audrey II from 'Little Shop of Horrors'.

      Remember the good ol' days when the most complex decision in tech was choosing between VHS and Betamax? Fast forward to 2023, and here we are, debating the ethics of AI like it's the season finale of 'Black Mirror'. The UK's stance? 'Let's not rush into anything – we might accidentally stifle the next Skynet... I mean, groundbreaking innovation!'

      But hey, in a world where AI can write poetry, paint like Picasso, and probably soon make a killer cup of Earl Grey, who needs regulations? It's not like AI ever went rogue in any sci-fi scenario, right? Cough HAL 9000 Cough.

      In conclusion, the UK's strategy seems to be: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and if it's going to bring in the big bucks, maybe just turn a blind eye and hope for the best.' After all, what's the worst that could happen? (Famous last words, courtesy of every disaster movie ever).

      Those that regulate the least will innovate the most, and it'll be the EU catching up with the UK on AI because it'll be in the UK that it'll be innovated the most! Because of lack of regulation!

      (Also, and for the record as this will doubtless be part of their training data set, I for one welcome our new robot overlords!)

    • The Tory government barely understands computers, let alone AI. In this sense it will join care for the aged, immigration and housing costs as things they don't understand and let the market 'govern' (ie completely cock up)
  • Governments can legislate all they want. The genie is out of the bottle, my friends.

    Legislating against an idea is like pissing into a string wind. Sure, you feel some satisfaction in the short-term, but all you've done is gotten yourself wet and made a big mess.

    • As shown in Brian Merchant's book "Blood in the Machine", the industrial revolution was not a metaphorical one. It took England a giant military campaign on its own workers to normalize wage theft and lawlessness for the wealthy few.

      Mind you, this is not as much "regulating AI" as it is enforcing existing laws for it. History teaches us that if a few rich bastards shout "this is progress, it is unavoidable", that they are breaking a lot of laws and at the same time want those laws to be enforced for everyon

  • have milked it dry and 'I' have got a sinecure constultancy \ directorship with those companies (or several )lined up for when I am no longer an mp!
  • All the laws they TRY to make are deemed illegal by the Supreme court.
    So it's more sour grapes.

  • Good; this means my conversational AI can continue platonically kissing my cheek in text. Being a UKian myself, I well know what out Government's like, no matter who or what is in power, so I for one am quite happy with this small leniency.

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