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UK Government Rejects 'Kill Switch' Idea For Dangerous AI

2026-09-11 | original

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Why This Matters

The UK government has publicly rejected parliamentary proposals for a legal 'kill switch' to shut off dangerous AI models, arguing that national blocks are futile when the same systems can be developed or deployed abroad. The stance highlights the core limitation of country-level AI safety rules in a market dominated by US labs, and signals the bill is unlikely to become law despite continuing through Parliament.

Key Takeaways

The Cabinet Office says the UK 'cannot simply turn AI off' because blocking domestic access wouldn't stop development or misuse elsewhere.
Government opposition doesn't halt the bill's passage through Parliament but makes enactment unlikely.
Ex-OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajilo agrees a national shut-off offers little protection against superintelligences built in the US.

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The UK government has rejected proposals for an emergency AI "kill switch," arguing that blocking access to dangerous models inside Britain would do little if the same systems remained available or were developed elsewhere. The BBC reports: The proposal to create a legal mechanism for the UK to switch off an AI model in an emergency has been brought to Parliament by lords and MPs in recent weeks as fears grow about the threat the tech poses. But the Cabinet Office - the part of government which leads on AI safety - said the UK "cannot simply turn AI off". "Blocking access to models in the UK would not prevent them being developed or misused elsewhere," a spokesperson told BBC News. The government's opposition to the legislation does not prevent it from progressing through parliament, but makes it unlikely it will become law. "Switching off access to an AI model in an emergency will do little to protect you," said former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajilo. "You're still going to be steamrolled by the super intelligences created in the US."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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