Haigh warns of ‘huge risk’ from AI unless proper safety measures put in place

Artificial intelligence (AI) poses “huge risks” to national security unless the proper safeguards can be put in place, First Secretary Louise Haigh has warned.

Ms Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, acknowledged AI has the potential to transform public services, increase business growth and scientific progress.

But she said people were rightly worried about the negative impacts of the technology’s rapid progress and the Government had a “solemn duty” to act.

The UK Government’s tone is in marked contrast to US President Donald Trump, who has dismissed warnings about the risks to humanity posed by AI as a “hoax”, even when they have come from industry insiders.

Speaking at the TUC congress in Brighton, Ms Haigh said AI has “immense potential to improve lives” but “I know people are worried, rightly, about what it already means for their jobs, what it means for the world their kids are growing up in and, of course, for their safety”.

“We must heed the warnings of those who are at the forefront of developing this technology,” she said.

“There are clearly huge risks to our national security and society if the right guardrails are not put in place.”

She said the UK was ready to work internationally to address concerns about the technology.

“AI will reshape our lives and the lives of our children, and we have a solemn duty to mitigate the risks and ensure it is for the benefit, not the detriment, of our society.”

Later, Ms Haigh was asked by a TUC delegate whether unions should have a role in how AI is implemented to protect workers.

The senior minister replied: “As we go forward in all the reform around AI, working people need to be at the heart of the AI debate, and we’re committed again to working with trade unions and employers on this.

“Where AI makes work more productive, then the benefits should be felt by workers, not just shareholders or tech bros.”

Ms Haigh addressed trade unionists after Prime Minister Andy Burnham pulled out following the death of his father.

Responding to Ms Haigh’s speech, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “We cannot have an unmanaged technological transition that pushes workers to the margins.

“It’s time to give workers more control over this technology and confront the short-termist shareholders and out of control companies driving dangerous AI.”

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he understood public concerns about AI but insisted people should have confidence in the UK’s safeguards.

“We should neither be complacent nor should we be hyperbolic about this,” he told BBC Breakfast.

The Commons Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee has called on UK safety watchdog the AI Security Institute to give evidence in Parliament on October 13.

Committee chairman Liam Byrne said: “Over the last week, public concern about the risk of unfettered, inadequately governed artificial intelligence development has multiplied.”

In the US, Mr Trump has dismissed AI fears as a “hoax” despite leading players in the industry ringing the alarm bell about the dangers from the rapid growth in the capability of the technology.

He is worried that any slowdown in US progress will hand an advantage to Chinese firms and pushed back against calls by tech leaders such as Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk to have greater government oversight of AI.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: “The only control or “guardrails” that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”