Burnham Tells UN Britain Ready to Lead Global Push on AI Standards
In his first UN General Assembly address, UK PM Andy Burnham pitched Britain as an AI standards leader and unveiled a new centre to counter hostile information attacks.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the United Nations General Assembly that Britain is prepared to lead an international effort to set standards for artificial intelligence, warning that the technology's safeguards risk falling behind and that it poses growing national security dangers.
In his inaugural address to the assembly, Burnham said the warnings around AI must be heeded and acknowledged public anxiety about where the technology is heading. He argued that Britain should not act as a "doom-monger" but instead pursue AI's potential while being candid about its risks, which include safeguards failing to keep pace and hostile actors deploying the technology in information warfare.
Speaking at his first multinational gathering in New York as Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade, Burnham framed AI as central to his ambition for the country to reclaim a prominent role on the world stage and rebuild its diplomatic standing.
He accused Russian agencies of spreading falsehoods and disinformation to exploit public fears, saying they had used bots, fake websites and falsified newspaper articles, forged the branding of 28 British organisations including universities and the BBC, and amplified far-right narratives. He added that evidence pointed to attempts to interfere in the 2019 general election. Russia has rejected such allegations.
Burnham said Britain would position itself as an "honest broker" for a leadership role, pointing to its close ties with the United States, an improving relationship with the European Union and workable relations with China and India. He cited the country's AI Security Institute, which collaborates closely with the US and leading AI laboratories on safety, but said more was needed.
His office said officials have made clear to AI leaders that Britain expects full visibility of new frontier models to strengthen national preparedness and resilience. Burnham argued that fundamental decisions about AI should rest with elected governments rather than technology companies, and said he would make AI a centrepiece of Britain's G20 presidency next year.
He called for agreement on a single set of global principles and standards to ensure the transparency and access needed to improve preparedness and keep AI development safe.
Burnham also announced a new National Centre for Information Defence, tasked with detecting, attributing and disrupting hostile state information attacks and identifying deepfakes that harm British interests. He said security chiefs had been instructed to begin work on the centre to support and defend democracy.