artificial intelligence – The Church of England in Parliament

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Oxford speaks on the risks of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Oxford spoke on the issue of artificial intelligence during the King’s Speech debate on 19th May 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron. I look forward to the maiden speeches to come.

In the words of the King’s Speech,

“an increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom”.

The Government will respond “with strength” and in line with

“the British values of decency, tolerance and respect”.

Not all threats are visible, though all need an intentional response.

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports amendments on tech safety

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in support of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by Baroness Kidron on regulation of chatbots and the need for safety infrastructure in technology:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I also support the amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, and others, and thank them all most warmly. They seem to me appropriately comprehensive and detailed. I have been following the developments in chatbots for a year now: they are massive, they are rapid, they are driven by the pursuit of profit and shareholder value, and not by the welfare of individuals, whether adults or children. There is a tsunami of harm coming towards us, affecting not only the most vulnerable but the whole of our society. We urgently need this kind of regulation and risk assessment for chatbots.

Bishop of Oxford asks about ensuring value of humanity in the world of work

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on ensuring humanity is centred within the world of work during a discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on the labour market on 25th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I welcome the new institute, the announcement and the individuals involved. I want to ask a question about the values that the Government will take forward in thinking about this area. What practical steps are they taking to ensure that humanity is at the centre of people’s experience of work, that we are not working for algorithms, and that work is at the centre of humanity and society?

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of Hereford highlights importance of nuanced understanding of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Hereford spoke during a committee debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 30th January 2026, pointing out a distinction between AI tools and artificial intelligence generally in regards to an amendment proposed by Baroness Coffey, which would stipulate that “(4) Artificial intelligence must not be used to carry out any functions in any section or schedule of this Act.”

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, for raising a very important issue in this amendment. However, I am concerned that, as it stands, as the noble Baroness said, this amendment is too blunt an instrument. It is important that we distinguish between AI tools and the more dangerous artificial general intelligence, or superintelligence. The use of AI in medical diagnostics in patient care is already commonplace. AI tools are currently used to read scans and X-rays and will frequently perform as well as, if not better than, clinicians. To exclude the use of AI altogether might deprive patients who are considering assisted dying of valuable diagnostic assistance and care at a very vulnerable time.

Bishop of Hereford speaks in debate on establishing moratorium on super-intelligent AI

The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a debate on proposals for an international moratorium on the development of superintelligent AI on 29th January 2026, highlighting the importance of tempering “intelligence” with love and human collaboration, and urging the government to support a moratorium:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, it is appropriate that this debate happens the day after the Church celebrated the life and work of the great divine Thomas Aquinas, one of the founding intellectual fathers of western thought, because this debate cuts to the very heart of how we understand ourselves.

Our debate is about the regulation of superintelligence. We know that intelligence is simply

“the ability to learn, understand and think in a logical way about things; the ability to do this well”.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about role of Ofcom in regulating online deepfakes

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the effectiveness of Ofcom during a discussion on the proliferation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women on X/Twitter on 14th January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I welcome moves by the Government on this issue. I came off X last September and there is wider debate to be had about that site. Given that we know that the use of AI tools to harm women will only accelerate—recent research has found thousands of nudification apps available—I repeat my question from earlier this week: what more will the Government do to create a robust framework so that AI will be used responsibly in the whole landscape of misogyny and abuse?

Bishop of Gloucester asks about efforts to combat use of AI as a tool of harassment

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on responsible use of AI and combatting its use in harassment of women and girls online on 12th January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, following on from that question, I am very grateful for the action being taken by Ofcom to investigate X and the Grok AI chatbot, but what are the Government doing to create a robust framework so that AI will be used responsibly in this whole landscape of sexual harassment experienced by women and girls?

Bishop of Derby asks about AI implementation standards for government and local authorities

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on maintaining high ethical standards for AI implementation by government and local authorities on 15th December 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, impressive work is already under way to drive technological innovation across local and regional government. Derby City Council was the first in the UK to introduce phone assistants powered by generative AI—they are called Darcie, Ali and Perrie; do come and ask me why they have those names if you want to know—to streamline call centre interactions with residents. I declare my interest as Bishop of Derby and a member of the Derby City Partnership board. How will the Minister’s department learn from best practice and pilot initiatives across local and regional government to ensure that AI implementation maintains inclusivity and high ethical standards in all sectors?

Bishop of Sheffield asks about further education sector

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answers on 16th September 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote and support vocational development and training between United Kingdom further education institutions and their equivalents overseas.

Bishop of Oxford asks about impact of AI on youth unemployment

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on the impact of artificial intelligence on youth unemployment on 11th September 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I too welcome and commend the Minister’s passion and commitment. I recently met around 100 young people, as part of the work our diocese is doing, and their number one concern is the impact of technology and AI on their future jobs. There is now robust research in the United States on the likely impact of AI on entry-level jobs. Are the Government aware of that research and do they intend to commission research on the likely impact on the UK of artificial intelligence and strategies that might emerge?

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