United Kingdom — AI Law & Policy Updates

The United Kingdom has not enacted an EU-style AI Act, instead applying five non-statutory principles through existing sector regulators including the ICO, FCA, and Ofcom. The AI Security Institute, renamed from the AI Safety Institute in February 2025, oversees frontier-model risk, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 reformed automated decision-making rules. A comprehensive government AI Bill has been signalled for 2026 but is not yet before Parliament.

Pro-innovation AI regulation framework 2023 White Paper · Data Use and Access Act 2025 · UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018 · Online Safety Act 2023 — Status: In Effect no dedicated AI Act The UK has deliberately not enacted an EU-style AI Act. Instead, five non-statutory principles are applied by existing sector regulators — the ICO for data protection, the FCA for financial services, Ofcom for online safety. The AI Security Institute renamed from the AI Safety Institute in February 2025 oversees frontier-model risk, and the Data Use and Access Act 2025 reformed the rules on automated decision-making. A comprehensive government AI Bill has been signalled for 2026 but is not yet before Parliament. Recent developments: