AI would have saved my mother from lung cancer, says Labour MP

Peter Kyle, the shadow science secretary, has said he believes artificial intelligence would have saved his mother from dying of lung cancer.

The Labour frontbencher said unlocking the benefits of AI is personal to him as he has “no doubt” his mother would still be alive if she had received a cutting-edge scan powered by the rapidly advancing technology.

Mr Kyle said his mother died just a few weeks after a sudden collapse 11 years ago, having gone undiagnosed for 18 months despite presenting to doctors with pain “numerous times”.

If she had received a fast-track diagnosis made possible by AI scanners he saw in action at a Huddersfield hospital, he believes she would have survived.

Writing in The Telegraph, he said: “On Monday, I visited a hospital in Huddersfield where AI is being used to improve our NHS. The machines deployed there look at chest X-rays and can confirm healthy results in seconds. Results which instead look like suspected lung cancer are immediately fast-tracked.

“This means patients who have nothing to worry about can be reassured almost instantly. Patients who clearly need treatment are prioritised as they should be. For scans which are less clear cut; a human radiologist can spend more of their time, skill and judgment analysing them.

“Seeing this technology in action, with AI partnering with highly skilled radiologists, I was left in no doubt that had my mum benefited from a scan in this hospital she would still be alive today.”

‘We must raise the bar’

Mr Kyle said this “powerful thought” made him determined to ensure AI is “put to use to enhance and save lives, hopefully keeping other families together for longer”.

On Thursday, Labour took aim at Rishi Sunak’s decision not to “rush to regulate” the nascent technology, insisting there is an urgent need for new, “binding” rules for companies developing powerful AI.

Mr Kyle said he wants to see more innovative firms “starting and growing here”.

“But addressing backlogs is not about lowering the bar for regulatory approval. And for the most powerful and potentially dangerous technologies, like frontier AI, we must raise the bar,” he said.

The Government’s white paper on AI proposes five principles such as safety and accountability for companies to adhere to, but these will not initially be put on a statutory footing.

Mr Kyle accused the Tories of being “caught on the back foot” when it comes to regulating the tech, claiming they had put Britons at risk by falling “behind the curve”.

“A voluntary system is not something you can rely on when the risks are so massive,” he said.

“Labour would put the country’s security first and require companies developing the most powerful AI to have to carry out and report safety tests as they move forward.

“Many of the labs are starting to do this as good practice, but making it a requirement will reassure people that the most powerful AI should be developed here, shaped by our democratic values.”

Speaking at a press conference to conclude his AI summit, the Prime Minister conceded that, ultimately, “binding requirements” are likely to be needed to regulate the technology.

But he said it is “important that we do those in the right way”, based on “empirical evidence”.

Labour will use AI to transform all hospitals

By Peter Kyle

Unlocking the benefits of AI is personal to me. Eleven years ago, I lost my mum to lung cancer. In pain, she’d presented to doctors numerous times over an 18-month period. She had several scans but it went undetected until she subsequently collapsed, dying a few short weeks later.

On Monday, I visited a hospital in Huddersfield where AI is being used to improve our NHS. The machines deployed there look at chest X-rays and can confirm healthy results in seconds. Results which instead look like suspected lung cancer are immediately fast-tracked.

This means patients who have nothing to worry about can be reassured almost instantly. Patients who clearly need treatment are prioritised as they should be. For scans which are less clear cut; a human radiologist can spend more of their time, skill and judgment analysing them.

Seeing this technology in action, with AI partnering highly skilled radiologists, I was left in no doubt that had my mum benefited from a scan in this hospital she would still be alive today. This powerful thought gives me the determination that technologies like this, once tested by experts and deemed appropriate, be put to use to enhance and save lives, hopefully keeping other families together for longer.

But it is a postcode lottery between areas if they have access to these incredible treatments. That is why we must accelerate the adoption of safe technologies across our economic and public services. A Labour government would use this technology to transform all hospitals using our Fit for the Future Fund.

To address the backlogs that leave life-saving treatments held up for months, our new Regulatory Innovation Office would set and monitor targets for regulatory approval timelines, benchmarked against international comparators. These changes would speed up the adoption of new technologies like AI, with benefits across the whole economy.

We want more innovative companies starting and growing here which make use of the latest technology. But addressing backlogs is not about lowering the bar for regulatory approval. And for the most powerful and potentially dangerous technologies, like frontier AI, we must raise the bar.

It is not good enough that the Prime Minister has said this technology could destroy our way of life; and yet he will “not rush” to regulate, as a point of principle. The possibilities of artificial intelligence are almost endless. The Government’s summit shows they’re belatedly turning their attention to the risks and opportunities of AI. But the government’s international activity can’t mask years of sluggishness at home. They have been caught on the back foot.

Reassuring people AI is safe should be a priority

Earlier this year, the Government had less computing power than Finland and Italy and just one expert with three years of experience in frontier AI. Their AI Council had to be disbanded following reports the Government was “failing to anticipate advances in AI”.

The Government has been caught behind the curve, leaving citizens at risk and leaving working people missing out on the benefits of AI. The UK’s answer has to be urgently creating safeguards for the most advanced AI.

This is an action the United States president took this week with a sweeping executive order which puts requirements on the largest labs to report on the work they are doing.

Other countries, including China and the EU, are also taking action to put binding rules in place. The UK is at risk of being left behind by relying on the goodwill of the companies themselves. A voluntary system is not something you can rely on when the risks are so massive.

Labour would put the country’s security first and require companies developing the most powerful AI to carry out and report safety tests as they move forward.

Many of the labs are starting to do this as good practice, but making it a requirement will reassure people that the most powerful AI should be developed here, shaped by our democratic values.

Reassuring people and businesses that AI is safe should be a Government priority.

The Government’s focus on political theatre instead of concrete action is unacceptable when the stakes are so high.

Labour would harness the potential of AI to deliver better public services, get the economy growing and give Britain its future back.

Peter Kyle is the shadow science secretary and MP for Hove