Legal experts contribute to House of Commons AI governance inquiry

A hand writing on a glass screen. In the centre of the screen is the word ‘AI’, from which lines like a lit up map or circuit board spread out in the shape of a brain.

Press release issued: 18 January 2023

Written evidence submitted by the Law School’s Dr Philippa Collins, Kit Fotheringham and Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells has been published by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee to its inquiry on 'Governance of artificial intelligence' (AI).

The UK government is expected to publish a white paper on AI governance later this year to address concerns surrounding the increased use of AI.

Senior Lecturer in Law Dr Philippa Collins, postgraduate research student Kit Fotheringham and Professor of Economic Law Albert Sanchez-Graells submitted written evidence to the Science and Technology Committee inquiry, which will examine the effectiveness of AI governance and the Government’s proposals.

Read their submissions to the inquiry online:

Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells’ evidence: Albert's submission addresses the need for a new 'AI in the public sector authority' to govern the adoption of digital technologies by the public sector, and ensure that it works in the public interest and in compliance with fundamental rights and legal standards.

Dr Philippa Collins’ evidence, submitted together with Dr Joe Atkinson (University of Sheffield): Philippa's evidence focuses of the use of AI to manage people at work. It contains several recommendations that would enhance the rights of individuals who are subject to algorithmic management at work and would place important limits on how employers could use AI-based technologies in the workplace.

Kit Fotheringham’s evidence: Kit urges the government to protect citizens from unfair algorithms which could be used by some public bodies in automated decision-making. Kit’s evidence to the inquiry provides suggestions for regulatory reform so more safeguards are put in place.

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Further information

The Centre for Global Law and Innovation (CGLI) brings together scholars with an interest in drivers of innovation and global regulatory trends in law. Taking a broad and inclusive approach to innovation, the work of its members focuses on areas such as trade, procurement, investment, finance, intellectual property, information technology, regulation and health law.

Dr Philippa Collins is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol. After completing her doctorate at the University of Oxford, she now researches and teaches Employment Law. Her research focuses on the relationship between human rights and employment law mechanisms, and she has published a leading monograph, Putting Human Rights to Work: Labour Law, the ECHR and the Employment Relation, on this topic. Her current project examines the protection of labour rights and fundamental rights in an era of algorithmic management and in the light of increased use of technology in the workplace.

Kit Fotheringham is a postgraduate research student at the University of Bristol Law School. His doctoral thesis is on administrative law, specifically relating to the use of algorithms, machine learning and other artificial intelligence technologies by public bodies in automated decision-making procedures. Kit’s research maps out the existing legal frameworks and aims to synthesise the law from a regulatory perspective so that regulators can better co-ordinate their efforts.

Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells is Co-Director of the Centre for Global Law and Innovation and a Professor of Economic Law at the University of Bristol Law School. Albert specialises in EU economic law and, in particular, competition and public procurement. Albert is currently researching the impact of digital technologies such as big data, machine learning, blockchain and the internet of things on public procurement governance, as well as functionally comparing developments in GovTech, RegTech and FinTech. Albert is a former Member of the European Commission Stakeholder Expert Group on Public Procurement. Most of  his working papers are available at SSRN and his analysis of current legal developments is published on his blog.