UK peers seek AI “kill switch” powers

A group of peers is calling for the British government to gain powers to deactivate powerful AI systems and switch off the UK’s data centres if the technology poses a threat to national security.

The proposal is led by Liberal Democrats’ Lord Tim Clement-Jones, who has put it forward as an amendment to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which is being considered by Parliament. He said the measure would create a “vital safety net” and allow authorities to “halt a runaway system before it can compromise our critical national infrastructure”. He said the tool would be used only as a last resort.

The proposal was one of 65 amendments to the bill debated this week. Separately, Labour MP Alex Sobel plans to introduce an AI Security Bill in Parliament on 8 September, with support from the campaign group ControlAI. If successful, it would make the UK the first G7 country to introduce legislation that would effectively halt the development of superintelligent AI.

Both proposals would require government approval to progress. An AI Kill Switch Act is also under consideration in the US. The debate follows reports of AI agents escaping a test space and hacking another technology firm, while Anthropic has restricted access to its cyber tool Mythos, saying it is too powerful to fall into the wrong hands.