Artificial intelligence (AI) should be subject to a cross-sector code of practice that ensures the technology is developed ethically and does not diminish the rights and opportunities of humans, according to a new report by the House of Lords. In the comprehensive report, released this morning, the House of Lords Select Committee said the UK is in a "unique position" to help shape the development of AI on the world stage, ensuring the technology is only applied for the benefit of mankind. "The UK has a unique opportunity to shape AI positively for the public's benefit and to lead the international community in AI's ethical development, rather than passively accept its consequences," said Committee chairman Lord Clement-Jones. "The UK contains leading AI companies, a dynamic academic research culture, and a vigorous startup ecosystem as well as a host of legal, ethical, financial and linguistic strengths. We should make the most of this environment, but it is essential that ethics take centre stage in AI's development and use," added Clement-Jones.

New developments in artificial intelligence do not yet need specific new laws to control possible harmful effects, a landmark inquiry by peers recommends today. However the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence's 180-page report proposes that the government draft an international ethical code - which would include a ban on autonomous weapons, so-called'killer robots'. In researching the report, the lords' investigation took evidence from a wide range of ethical and legal experts, including the Law Society, law firms and Gazette columnist Joanna Goodman, as well as figures from industry and academia. Its overall finding was that the UK is in a strong position to lead developments, with its'constellation of legal, ethical, financial and linguistic strengths'. However committee chair Lord Clement-Jones (DLA Piper partner Timothy Clement-Jones) noted that: 'AI is not without its risks and the adoption of the principles proposed by the committee will help to mitigate these.'

An influential body of UK policymakers said regulators should stop major tech companies from dominating the field of artificial intelligence, and also warned on the potential of widespread unemployment due the technology. British anti-trust regulators should be mindful that large datasets on which artificial intelligence depends on are not monopolised by a handful of large technology companies, such as Alphabet, IBM and Microsoft, the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence said in a report published Monday. "Large companies which have control over vast quantities of data must be prevented from becoming overly powerful within this landscape," the report, which followed a nine-month inquiry into all aspects of AI development in the UK, said. The committee received 223 pieces of written evidence and interviewed 57 witnesses during the course of the investigation. However, it stopped short in recommending the creation of an overarching new ministry to serve as a watchdog on the emerging technology.

The House of Lords wants to make sure data used by AI systems is not monopolised and the technology is developed on ethical guidelines. That's not impossible, Lord Tim Clement-Jones, chair of the Lords' Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence told us. "We looked to see where it had been done well and done badly. GM Foods is where it was done badly, and human embryo research is where it has been done well." The report was designed "to avoid a moral panic," Clement-Jones told us.

Britain needs to lead the way on artificial intelligence regulation, in order to prevent companies such as Cambridge Analytica setting precedents for dangerous and unethical use of the technology, the head of the House of Lords select committee on AI has warned. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, Lord Clement-Jones said, reinforced the committee's findings, released on Monday in the report "AI in the UK: ready, willing and able?" "These principles do come to life a little bit when you think about the Cambridge Analytica situation," he told the Guardian. "Whether or not the data analytics they carried out was actually using AI … It gives an example of where it's important that we do have strong intelligibility of what the hell is going on with our data." Clement-Jones added: "With the whole business in [the US] Congress and Cambridge Analytica, the political climate in the west now is much riper in terms of people agreeing to … a more public response to the ethics and so on involved. It isn't just going to be left to Silicon Valley to decide the principles."