AI and data - what does the UKs approach to regulating AI mean in the context of data protection and cyber security?

The government's March 2023 AI White Paper sets out a risk-based, sector-focused approach to regulating AI in the UK, with regulator guidance and sandboxes to be underpinned by five core principles. The ICO is set to be a key part of this strategy thanks to the fact that many AI models are trained on or generate large amounts of personal data.  The government's five AI principles overlap with some (but crucially not all) the UK GDPR Article 5 principles, and we look at the intersection of AI and data protection regulation in the context of:

• fairness
• transparency and explainability
• accountability and governance, and
• security, safety and robustness.

We also consider the role of the ICO as a lynchpin AI regulator, both to date and going forwards, and look at how that fits in with the evolving UK approach.