Here’s your top 3

#1: AI regulation – what’s next?

The AI literacy requirement under the EU AI Act started to apply on 2 February. We also saw the first pieces of guidance coming out of Europe, on prohibited AI practices and the definition of AI system under the Act. We’re waiting for guidance on other key aspects, including high-risk AI systems. Our recent webinar on the regulatory requirements under the Act and the AI landscape generally, is now available to view on demand.

Here in the UK, the government is currently analysing the feedback from a consultation on proposals to change the way copyright law applies to the training of AI models, amid a backlash from key figures in the creative industries sector.

The first independent International AI Safety Report – to become the ‘global handbook on AI safety’ – was published to inform discussions at the AI Action Summit held in Paris on 10 and 11 February. In a surprise move, the UK joined the US in choosing not to sign the summit’s closing statement, with the government citing national security and global governance concerns.

We’ve also seen the UK’s AI Safety Institute renamed the ‘UK AI Security Institute’, with the government confirming that the Institute will not focus on bias or freedom of speech. And we await with interest the content and timing of a long-anticipated AI Bill, with a report in the Guardian suggesting that the election of Donald Trump ‘has led to a rethink’. Watch this space.

#2: Agentic AI

We’re seeing an increasing amount of commentary and hype about ‘agentic AI’ being one of the top tech trends for 2025. The government’s recently published AI playbook for the public sector describes agentic AI as ‘autonomous AI systems that can make decisions and perform actions with minimal human intervention’. The UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan refers to these systems, saying that ‘the chatbots we are all familiar with are just an early glimpse as to what is possible’.

Just last week we saw Amazon introducing Alexa+, its next-generation assistant powered by generative AI and with agentic capabilities ‘which will enable Alexa to navigate the internet in a self-directed way to complete tasks on your behalf, behind the scenes’.

#3: The International Year of Quantum

As the world celebrates 100 years of quantum, the government is recruiting key specialists to expand the board which is advising it on ‘seizing the transformative potential of quantum technologies’. The government describes the technology as a critical one that offers solutions in almost every sector, from healthcare to energy, and says it will be an important part of the forthcoming industrial strategy.

With Microsoft recently introducing a new chip that it ‘expects will realise quantum computers capable of solving meaningful, industrial-scale problems in years, not decades’, and Amazon announcing its own new chip, this emerging tech – in all its forms – is firmly on the radar.

More legal and regulatory developments…

• We recently looked at what’s in store in the world of tech and digital in 2025 from a legal and regulatory perspective, with insights in the areas of AI, data, cyber and more.
• The Information Commissioner’s Office published its 2025 Tech Horizons report, focusing on the following technologies that the regulator says are poised to significantly affect society, the economy and information rights in the next 2 to 7 years: connected transport; quantum sensing and imaging (use cases in healthcare and medical research); digital diagnostics, therapeutics and healthcare infrastructure; and synthetic media and its identification and detection (think deepfakes). The report also provides updates on other emerging tech featured in previous reports, including the commercial use of drones, quantum tech and neurotech.
• As part of its new set of guidance on employment practices and data protection, the ICO published its final guidance on keeping employment records.
• The Data (Use and Access) Bill is passing swiftly through the various parliamentary stages. The Information Commissioner published an updated response to the Bill after it completed its passage through the House of Lords.
• The Financial Conduct Authority and Payment Systems Regulator published a joint feedback statement assessing the usage and impact of digital wallets. The proportion of card transactions using a digital wallet increased from 8% to 29% between 2019 and 2023.
• The FCA published a note as part of its AI research series, looking at how we can explain AI’s role in credit decisions for consumers.
• The European Commission confirmed that it intends to withdraw the proposals for an AI Liability Directive and ePrivacy Regulation from its 2025 work programme.
• There are concerns that the adequacy of the Data Privacy Framework which allows EU, UK and Swiss transfers of personal data to the US could be at risk after the Trump administration terminated 3 members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board from their positions.

…and in other news

• Bidding opened for the government’s planned AI growth zones, part of its AI Opportunities Action Plan announced at the start of the year. The BBC has reported on experts’ warnings about the energy costs and on potential water shortages associated with AI infrastructure.
• The government updated its webpage on the various cybersecurity codes of practice to include the new code of practice on AI cybersecurity.
• A recent government report outlines critical aspects of cybersecurity that organisations must consider when evaluating their cybersecurity posture.
• The Treasury Committee launched a new inquiry into the use of AI in banking, pensions and other financial services.
• Meta announced the world’s longest subsea cable project which will ‘unlock global AI potential’.
• The Smart Machines Strategy 2035 provides a 10-year roadmap to position the UK as a global leader in robotics and smart machines.
• The government is consulting until 9 April 2025 on the first steps of a Digital Inclusion Action Plan ‘to help people in Britain reap the benefits of the online world’.
• The government is also consulting until 7 May 2025 on standardising electronic invoicing and increasing its adoption across UK businesses and the public sector.
• And finally, the BBC published footage from a US aeronautical company showing a concept version of its electric flying car.

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