UK Information Commissioner Launches AI and Biometrics Strategy
The U.K. Information Commissioner's Office unveiled the start of a process that will create an AI and biometrics strategy focused on areas with the potential for public benefit but also where there are concerns and a real risk of harm, Information Commissioner John Edwards told lawmakers Thursday.
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ICO research shows that "people expect to understand when and how AI systems affect them, and they are worried about the consequences when these technologies go wrong -- such as being incorrectly identified by facial recognition," Edwards said at an ICO event with the AI All-Party Parliamentary Group.
The strategy covers how the ICO will assemble a statutory code of practice for organizations that develop or deploy AI and set clear expectations for the use of automated decision-making systems. It will ensure that AI foundation models are developed lawfully, and that police use facial recognition technology fairly and proportionately, Edwards added.
The commissioner urged companies to "take appropriate care and use our guardrails" to deploy and use AI responsibly based on a foundation of trust.
Agentic AI is the next phase of AI evolution, with systems becoming increasingly capable of acting autonomously, Edwards noted. "Whereas Generative AI might be able to write your shopping list, an agentic AI might be able to access an online shop and use your ID card and payment details to place an order."
The ICO will explore the data protection implications of agentic AI in an upcoming tech futures report, Edwards said.