Lord introduces bill to regulate public sector AI and automation

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones Introduces Bill to Regulate AI Use by Public Authorities

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones has introduced a private members’ bill to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, and automated decision-making technologies by public authorities. The bill aims to prevent another scandal like the Post Office scandal.

According to the proposals brought by Lord Clement-Jones on 9 September, citizens would have the right to access information on why an automated decision was made if “computer says no” to a benefit decision, immigration decision, or similar. This would give them the opportunity to challenge the decision.

If a citizen chooses to challenge an automated decision, the Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill would require the government to provide an independent dispute resolution service.

Public authorities would also be obligated to publish impact assessments of any automated or AI algorithms that influence decision-making processes. This would include a mandatory bias assessment to ensure compliance with the Equality Act and Human Rights Act. Additionally, public authorities would need to maintain a transparency register to provide more information to the public about how each system is being used.

Lord Clement-Jones emphasized the importance of transparency in using automated systems to prevent human costs like those seen in the Post Office/Horizon scandal. He urged the government to support these changes to ensure proper checks are in place.

The Bill includes provisions to ensure that any systems deployed by public authorities have automatic logging capabilities for continuous monitoring and interrogation of their operation. It also prohibits the procurement of systems that cannot be scrutinized.

Other Parliamentarians have also introduced AI-related bills to regulate the technology, including Lord Christopher Holmes and Labour MP Mick Whitley. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has also published a law for regulating AI in the workplace to protect workers from the adverse effects of automated decision-making.

While the previous Conservative government promoted an agile, pro-innovation approach to regulating AI, there has been debate over whether this framework is sufficient. The government emphasized the need for AI safety to build confidence in the technology among businesses.

Although the new Labour government has not announced plans for AI-specific legislation, private members’ bills like Lord Clement-Jones’ serve as a mechanism to generate debates on important issues and test opinions in Parliament.