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The plans will include strengthening cybersecurity, reviewing existing laws and preparing for serious incidents involving autonomous AI agents.

The government announced the measures on 12 October 2026, and they will ensure the UK can benefit from advances in AI while protecting public services, essential infrastructure and the public from potential threats.

The government plans to expand the use of advanced AI technology to improve the UK’s cyber defences.

The initiative builds on two pilot projects that have already helped identify and fix more than 1,000 potential cyber vulnerabilities across government systems, while also detecting possible cyber threats.

Expanding these projects could help protect essential public services and reduce the risk of cyber attacks. It is also expected to support the wider adoption of AI-based security tools across the public sector.

The government believes AI could play an important role in identifying weaknesses and responding to threats, helping protect services people rely on daily.

Alongside improving technical defences, ministers are considering stronger legal protections through the proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and the wider cyber security framework.

The changes could help better protect essential services, including hospitals and utilities, against AI-related threats. It will focus on situations where autonomous AI systems behave unpredictably or operate beyond effective human control.

The government will also examine how to identify and report serious AI incidents and near misses. This would help organisations learn from problems more quickly and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future.

Any proposed measures will be developed with parliamentarians, technical experts and organisations responsible for implementing them.

As AI agents become capable of carrying out complex tasks with limited human supervision, the government is also working on plans to respond to potential large-scale incidents.

Officials are collaborating with the National Cyber Security Centre and the AI Security Institute to assess how such incidents should be managed. Because autonomous systems could rapidly disrupt multiple services, the UK may need new expertise and response capabilities.

The AI Security Institute is also evaluating the latest generation of advanced AI models to understand their capabilities and potential risks better.

The government has emphasised the importance of AI verification, which involves checking whether claims about the development, testing and safety of AI systems can withstand independent scrutiny. Further details on support for UK verification efforts are expected in the coming months.

These measures form part of a wider national strategy led by the Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce, which will examine AI’s impact on national security, economic growth, public services and employment.