UK government releases new AI code of practice to help protect companies

A person holding out their hand with a digital AI symbol.

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The British Government is introducing a new AI Code of Practice
The voluntary framework will help guide businesses using AI
Protecting businesses hopes to boost growth and productivity

The UK government has introduced a new ‘world-leading AI cybersecurity standard’ which hopes to help protect its increasingly-important digital economy.

The new ‘Code of Practice’ is aimed at giving public services and businesses the "confidence they need to harness AI’s transformative potential safely". It is a voluntary structure, and includes principles such as securing your supply chain, monitoring system’s behaviour, and evaluating and managing threats and risks to AI systems.

This promises to form the basis of a ‘new global standard’ for secure AI, and represents a major step to ‘cement the UK’s position as a world leader in safe innovation’, and comes alongside the UK government’s recent master plan to ‘unleash AI’ with a 50 point plan to push AI into all corners of British industry.

Growth and productivity

Cyberattacks are hitting British businesses more than ever before, and almost half of all organizations experienced an attack or breach in the last 12 months. By adopting these principles, businesses can bolster their cyber defences and are given guidance on best practices.

The UK’s AI sector is attracting ‘millions per hour’, the government claims, and the Government has estimated that supporting cyber skills could boost the £11.9 billion cyber security industry which will help drive growth and boost productivity for the British economy.

“It is vital that we harness the transformative potential of AI securely so that our society can reap the benefits of new technologies without introducing avoidable vulnerabilities and cyber risks” said NCSC Chief Technology Officer Ollie Whitehouse.

“The UK is leading the way by establishing this security standard, fortifying our digital technologies, benefiting the global community and reinforcing our position as the safest place to live and work online.”

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Ellen has been writing for almost four years, with a focus on post-COVID policy whilst studying for BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Cardiff, followed by an MA in Political Communication. Before joining TechRadar Pro as a Junior Writer, she worked for Future Publishing’s MVC content team, working with merchants and retailers to upload content.