A parliamentary committee has warned that existing laws cannot keep up with AI’s risks to human rights, and it wants a new bill to fix that gap. The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) published a report calling for an AI Bill to “address the scale and seriousness” of the threats.
“Nowhere in the world, including the UK, has a current legislative and regulatory approach to AI that is fit for purpose.”
That is the blunt assessment from Alex Sobel MP, the committee’s chair. He added that AI is moving so fast that its consequences are hard to predict, and that the UK is unprepared for them.
The Committee’s Case
The JCHR’s 12 members come from both Houses of Parliament, with MPs and peers from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties. Their report points to numerous abuses of human rights by AI, citing examples such as sexualised images of women and girls created using the technology, and facial scanning done without consent.
The committee argues that the current legal framework around AI is “fragmented and difficult to navigate,” leaving gaps in protection. It wants a “single, independent AI oversight body” set up on a statutory basis.
What the Bill Would Cover
The AI Bill should classify different risk levels and mandate more demanding obligations for higher-risk systems, the committee says. Obligations should apply to every stage of the AI lifecycle, from design through amendment to use, so everyone in the supply chain knows what they owe.
Some uses of AI should be banned outright because they are incompatible with human rights, the committee argues. Its list includes subliminal techniques and inappropriate use of profiling or biometric data.
The Global Context
The call for a UK bill lands alongside international pressure. On Saturday, Anthropic chief Dario Amodei proposed global regulation, industry-wide rules and independent monitoring of AI models as they develop.
Amodei urged slowing the pace of development, and the bosses of two rival firms, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk, said they agreed with him.
Staff Fear at Anthropic
The warning from inside the industry comes from Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher who quit Anthropic. He was interviewed by the BBC this weekend, and he said that staff developing the systems were “genuinely frightened” for the future of humanity.
What Anthropic Says Now
An Anthropic spokesperson told BBC News that the company is building “models with some of the strongest safeguards in the industry.” That response was published alongside Coxon’s warning.
Government Reaction So Far
BBC News is seeking comment from the government on the call for the AI bill.
Timeline of Recent Developments
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Amodei proposes global regulation, industry-wide rules and model monitoring |
| Monday | JCHR publishes its report calling for an AI Bill |
| This weekend | Coxon interviewed by the BBC |
The committee’s warning is urgent, and the stakes are high. The UK has no current approach to AI regulation that anyone says is fit for purpose, and the report’s authors describe the consequences as hard to predict.
That combination — a committee warning, an ex-staff member’s fear, and a rival CEO’s agreement on slowing down — gives the call for a bill real force. Whether the government answers it remains to be seen.
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