Charity body raises AI human rights fears under Labour government

Despite a change of government ‘little has changed for our civic space’ says Bond, which is concerned by continuing curbs on protests as well as emerging threats from artificial intelligence (AI).

The NGO body notes there has been a “change in tone” towards the charity sector by the Labour administration “but few policy changes”.

It is also concerned that curbs on protests remain, with climate protestors receiving longer sentences and stricter penalties.

Bond’s report points to the 2024 conviction of five climate protesters who planned to block the M25 during a protest. Four received four-year sentences and one received a five-year term.

“The number of defences available to protesters in court have been steadily eroded in recent years,” it further warned. This was a trend it had highlighted in last year’s report too.

New threats from AI in facial recognition and surveillance technology have also escalated over the last year.

It is further concerned that the “first attempts at regulating artificial intelligence prioritise growth and security over human rights”.

Legislation to strengthen AI safety frameworks was promised by the Labour administration last year but plans are unlikely to be published until this summer, Bond is concerned that any new law will not cover the technology in general but focus on specific models, such as in healthcare.

There has also been a “prioritising innovation over possible negative impacts” such as in the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan that was published in January.

Bond has issued the warning in a report looking at latest trends in the UK’s civic space over the last year.

It warns that despite promises by Labour ministers, including culture secretary Lisa Nandy, to forge a stronger relationship between government and civil society “the government is yet to take any action to address and reverse the repressive laws and policies previous governments have brought in”.

This includes includes section 16 of the 2016 Grant Standards, which prohibits public grants from being used for advocacy.