MPs and Lords call for new law to address AI threat to human rights
MPs and Lords call for new law to address AI threat to human rights. The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) published a report calling for a new bill on AI to "address the scale and seriousness" of such threats.
What happened
Existing laws are not equipped to address the risks to human rights being posed by artificial intelligence, UK politicians say. Image source, Getty ImagesByPatrick JacksonPublished14 September 2026A cross-party group of MPs and peers has identified human rights risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI), arguing existing laws are ill-equipped to address the technology's rapid growth. MPs and peers on the parliamentary committee for human rights on Monday called for a regulatory framework for AI in the UK, including an independent oversight body and legislation to protect the public.
After apocalyptic warnings about the threats posed by AI, leaders like Sam Altman and Elon Musk backed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s calls to ‘slow the pace’Facing a public uproar over Anthropic researchers’ repeated warnings that artificial intelligence could kill all of humanity by 2030, the AI company’s CEO, Dario Amodei, issued a proposal at the weekend to slow down the technology’s advancement to ensure public safety. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/ReutersAnalysis‘Too little, too late’: critics perplexed and suspicious of AI leaders’ call for a slowdownRobert Booth UK technology editorFrom the Trump administration to AI experts, plans by the Anthropic boss to boost safety have spawned a largely negative response OpenAI boss and Elon Musk back slowdown on ‘reckless’ AI development Editorial: controlling AI – humanity cannot outsource its survival The safety debate that ignited when whistleblowers last week warned that the most advanced AI poses an existential threat to humanity should come with a health warning: side effects include whiplash.
In a summary of its 100-page report, the JCHR argued AI has been responsible for numerous abuses of human rights, citing examples including the use of AI to create sexualised images of women and girls, and scanning people's faces without their consent. It continues: "Some uses of AI should be prohibited outright because they are incompatible with human rights.
The wider picture
One human rights concern raised in recent years is that AI can display biases against particular groups if trained on large datasets scraped from the internet which can include racist, sexist and other undesirable material. Contact formContact formRelated topicsArtificial intelligenceUK ParliamentHuman rightsMore on this storyAI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBCPublished1 day ago Labour MPs and peers have called for the government to further cooperate with international partners to build regulations for the technology after three Anthropic researchers warned that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within the decade.
I earnestly believe that AI has the potential to kill us all, and that we might be running out of time to avoid this outcome. ”Explore more on these topicsAI (artificial intelligence)Technology policyLouise HaighAnthropicOpenAILabourTUCnewsShareReuse this contentMore on this storyMore on this storyTrump facing AI backlash in Congress as push for guardrails intensifiesFull StoryAI isn’t going to end humanity. . . right? – Full Story podcastEurope must build own AI or risk getting cut off by US or China, says ECB’s LagardeAI-linked stocks slide after tech bosses call for slowdown in ‘reckless’ developmentOpenAI urges UK lawmakers to rein in technology amid growing safety fears OpenAI boss and Elon Musk back calls to put brakes on ‘reckless’ AI developmentUK lawmakers urge Burnham to back ban on superintelligent AI after chilling warningsThe Guardian view on controlling AI: humanity cannot outsource its survivalTech whistleblowers warn AI could wipe out humanity.
The AI industry, especially the factions within it that focus on whether the technology is aligned with humanity’s interests, has also long warned about its existential threats. While AI companies have made grandiose claims about the threats and benefits from their technology, they have also historically provided little transparency or oversight into how their models operate and spent millions in lobbying efforts to shape favorable legislation. In a statement posted on social media, Barack Obama, the former US president, called for the pace of AI development to be slowed to allow time for the federal government to develop regulations to address “serious safety concerns”.
Photograph: Michael Dwyer/APAnalysisWhy a decade of doomsday warnings failed to slow the AI raceJohana BhuiyanFrom Stephen Hawking to Jacob Coxon’s viral Anthropic resignation, fears that AI could threaten humanity have shaken the industry without stopping its pursuit Before an Anthropic researcher resigned and declared human extinction imminent last week, tech leaders and scientists had sounded the alarm about a superintelligent AI ending humanity for over a decade.
What has been reported
The threat that AI could be developed in a way that could be dangerous for humanity was so pervasive, they claimed, that they co-founded a nonprofit dedicated to building it safely, OpenAI, in 2015. Concerns over the dangerous potential of AI reached fever pitch this week after tech leaders sounded the alarm over the rapid advancement of the technology and its potential threat to humanity. Writing on X, Obama added: “We need government – and specifically our leaders in Washington – to get proactive in coming up with concrete proposals, laws and regulations that deal with serious safety concerns, anticipate AI’s impact on jobs and our kids, and make sure that AI’s benefits are widely spread. ”Members of Congress are holding a series of meetings this week with AI researchers and safety advocates as Congress tries to address the growing alarm.
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The report goes on to call for "more demanding obligations for higher risk AI systems and models" at all stages of the "AI lifecycle". Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher who quit Anthropic, told the BBC this weekend that staff developing the systems were "genuinely frightened" for the future of humanity. On Saturday, the head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, proposed a plan calling for the regulation of AI. Anthropic boss Dario Amodei calls for AI development to slow downPublished2 days agoTrump downplays warnings of AI risks, citing rivalry with ChinaPublished1 day agoQuestions mount over what an AI 'slowdown' would look likePublished1 day agoGet in touchDo you have any comments or questions about this story?
What happens next
Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Louise Haigh will address the TUC conference on Tuesday. Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenLouise Haigh will address the TUC conference on Tuesday. Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty ImagesLouise Haigh: UK must heed warnings from AI expertsFirst secretary to set out benefits of AI to union conference while vowing government will take safety seriously UK politics live – latest updates Ministers must “heed the warnings” from industry leaders about the threat posed by AI as the government looks to capitalise on the technology, the first secretary, Louise Haigh, will say on Tuesday.
Haigh will say in a speech at the TUC conference on Tuesday that there are huge potential benefits for health and public services from the use of AI, but that the government will look seriously at the public safety and national security threats with international partners. On Tuesday the chair of the business and trade committee, the Labour MP Liam Byrne, called on the government-backed AI Security Institute to give evidence at a hearing next month, citing “widely shared concerns about the adequacy of current AI safety governance”.
View image in fullscreenAnthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, has called on the AI industry to coordinate a slowdown. So I think you’ve got to be proportionate and understanding about this in how we seek to regulate going forward. ”Meanwhile, AI researchers have continued to add their voices of concern to a debate that became super-charged last week when Anthropic staff warned the technology posed an existential threat.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.