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The power of AI is worrying senior Labour figures – as is the fear of ‘falling behind the public’

“I have this sense that, within a few months, AI is going to be all anyone is talking about,” said one cabinet minister, with an ominous stare. It was Labour conference, with everyone from ministers to activists jubilant at Andy Burnham’s takeover and a bounce in the polls after the change of leader. But a number of senior Labour figures were privately starting to name the power of AI as the thing worrying them most, alongside the immediate pressures on the cost of living and fragile economy. One cabinet ministe…

By the Truvace desk2 min read1 sourceJournalismTRV-2026-1708· cite & verify
The power of AI is worrying senior Labour figures – as is the fear of ‘falling behind the public’

In brief

As of October 2026, senior Labour figures were privately naming AI as a leading worry, and Westminster activity on the issue accelerated within a week. The AI minister said rogue agents hacking the British state was likely, cabinet discussed the topic, and the MI5 chief warned that AI was intensifying the contest between cyber attackers and defenders.

The shift matters because it could change how Britain regulates and tests frontier models while it depends on US cooperation. Experts disagree on which risks deserve priority, and some officials fear that too much caution could slow public-service adoption. Future bioweapon threats and the effect of US politics remain uncertain.

Main points

  1. AI minister Kanishka Narayan said rogue agents hacking the British state was likely, and the UK is looking to strengthen its forthcoming cybersecurity legislation.
  2. MPs heard from Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepMind and Meta, which were split on whether government testing of new models should be mandatory.
  3. Geoffrey Irving said open source models typically catch up with paid models in under a year and lack reliable guardrails.
  4. Prof Elena Simperl said existential risk lacks evidence and that hacking and addictiveness are better-evidenced immediate risks.
  5. Defence sources criticised the cancellation of Dstl's AI programme, while the MoD pointed to £400m of AI-focused investment over four years.

The problem

UK officials and experts warn that AI could enable attacks on the state and bioweapon threats, and that open-source models may already be powerful enough to cause serious harm without effective safeguards.

The rundown

The article describes a change in tone under Andy Burnham's government. Liam Byrne attributed it partly to a break with the Starmer administration's closeness to big tech and partly to security service warnings. A senior Labour figure said the government was taking AI safety warnings more seriously than before.

On international coordination, Byrne said the government faces a dilemma over keeping access to models given a capricious US president while also securing safeguards. It was reported that the Trump administration asked AI companies not to share their latest models with the UK's AI Security Institute, though Narayan confirmed cooperation had been retained. The UK's G20 presidency is seen as a key moment for pushing international action.

The article also reports a counterview. Some in Whitehall worry that safety concerns could hold back AI tools that could improve productivity and public services such as medical care and waiting lists. Former cabinet secretary Gus O'Donnell said ministers must weigh the risk of being left behind alongside the need for guardrails.

Sources

  1. JournalismThe Guardian2026-10-17

The debate