Experts Advise UK Government to Create AI Misuse and Malfunction Database

Key Insights:

• CLTR calls for a UK-wide AI incident reporting system to track misuse and malfunctions, enhancing safety and risk management.
• The thinktank compares the need for AI incident logging to effective systems in aviation and medicine.
• Current gaps in AI regulation may leave critical incidents unaddressed, prompting the need for a centralized reporting hub.

The Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR) has urged the next UK government to establish a system for recording misuse and malfunctions in artificial intelligence. According to a recent report, the lack of such a system leaves ministers unaware of potentially alarming incidents involving AI technologies. The thinktank, which specializes in government responses to unforeseen crises and extreme risks, suggests creating a centralized hub to log AI-related episodes across the UK.

CLTR draws a parallel to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) system in aviation, emphasizing its transformative role in managing risks. The report references 10,000 AI “safety incidents” recorded globally since 2014, compiled in a database by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These incidents span a range of harms, from physical to economic and psychological.

Incidents and Current Reporting Gaps

Examples from the OECD’s AI safety incident monitor include a deepfake video of Labour leader Keir Starmer, Google’s AI misrepresentation of historical figures, self-driving car incidents, and a chatbot encouraging a man to plan an assassination. Such incidents underline the urgent need for a robust reporting system in the UK.

Tommy Shaffer Shane, policy manager at CLTR and the report’s author, stated, “Incident reporting has played a transformative role in mitigating and managing risks in safety-critical industries such as aviation and medicine. But it’s largely missing from the regulatory landscape being developed for AI. This is leaving the UK government blind to the incidents emerging from AI’s use, inhibiting its ability to respond.”

CLTR notes that many AI incidents may fall outside the purview of current UK watchdogs, as there is no specific regulator for advanced AI systems like chatbots and image generators. Labour has pledged to introduce binding regulations for these technologies, but a formal incident reporting regime is still necessary to track and mitigate risks effectively.

Proposed Measures and Benefits

The thinktank recommends three immediate steps: creating a government system to report AI incidents in public services, asking UK regulators to identify gaps in AI incident reporting, and considering a pilot AI incident database. This database could collect information from existing bodies like the AAIB, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

A well-functioning incident reporting regime would provide quick insights into AI failures and help the government anticipate similar issues in the future. This system could also coordinate responses to serious incidents, where swift action is crucial, and identify early signs of large-scale harm.

Existing Frameworks and Future Developments

CLTR suggests that the proposed reporting system could build on the current algorithmic transparency reporting standard, which encourages government departments and police authorities to disclose their use of AI. In May, 10 countries, including the UK, and the EU signed a statement on AI safety cooperation that included monitoring AI harms and safety incidents.

The report emphasizes the importance of ensuring the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is kept informed of AI misuse and malfunctions. Without a formal reporting system, DSIT may miss critical incidents such as disinformation campaigns, the attempted development of bioweapons, and biases in AI systems.

The incident reporting system would also support the DSIT’s Central AI Risk Function body (CAIRF), which assesses and reports on AI-associated risks. “DSIT should prioritize ensuring that the UK government finds out about such novel harm not through the news, but through proven processes of incident reporting,” the report concludes.

Examples from Other Industries

The CLTR report highlights the effectiveness of incident reporting in other safety-critical industries, such as aviation and medicine. In these fields, systematic logging and analysis of incidents have significantly improved safety and risk management. The thinktank argues that a similar approach in the AI sector would be beneficial.

By adopting a structured incident reporting system, the UK can better navigate the complex landscape of AI technology and its associated risks. This proactive measure would help safeguard public services and maintain public trust in AI applications.

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