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British Government to Introduce New AI Chatbot Regulations to Protect Children
London, UK – The British government is set to implement new regulations for artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, aiming to safeguard children and other users, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday. The move comes as part of a broader effort to ensure online safety in an increasingly digital world.
“The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass,” Starmer stated. “Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.”
The Prime Minister emphasized his government’s commitment to keeping children safe online, acknowledging that they are navigating a digital landscape vastly different from that of a generation ago, shaped by powerful platforms and rapidly evolving technologies.
Key among the new measures is a crackdown on illegal content generated by AI. This will involve closing a legal loophole, compelling chatbot providers to comply with the Online Safety Act, which became law in 2023 before the widespread prevalence of AI chatbots.
This initiative follows investigations by both the British government and the European Union into Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI. These investigations were prompted by allegations that the bot was being used to create non-consensual “undressed” images of women and girls. xAI subsequently modified Grok’s capabilities to prevent such misuse.
Further new rules, as reported by CNBC, will include minimum age limits for social media platforms, restrictions on features like infinite scrolling, and limits on children’s access to AI chatbots and VPNs. Additionally, social media companies will be required to retain data after a child’s death, unless it’s clear that online activity was unrelated to the cause.
“We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media,” Starmer affirmed.
Alex Brown, head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at law firm Simmons & Simmons, commented on the significance of the move. He noted that historically, lawmakers have been cautious about regulating technology itself, preferring to focus on its use cases. The Online Safety Act, he explained, primarily regulates services rather than the underlying technology.
Brown suggested that these new measures indicate the UK government’s intention to address dangers stemming from the design and behavior of technologies themselves, rather than solely from user-generated content or platform features.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall highlighted the importance of swift government action given the rapid pace of technological change. “MPs have a Finance Bill every year with the budget – I think we need to think like that with technology because it is changing so fast,” Kendall told BBC Today.
“We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots, and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media,” Kendall added in a statement. “We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at a time of rapid technological change.”