Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is set to urge the creation of an international AI safety agency, modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency, as he delivers his keynote address at the party’s conference in Brighton. The proposal, which draws a direct parallel between unchecked artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons, will form the centrepiece of Davey’s final-day speech to party members.
A Global Framework for AI Safety
Davey will call for a worldwide pause on super-intelligent AI, warning that the technology poses an existential threat comparable to a nuclear arms race. He will argue that the future of AI is currently being shaped by “a tiny number of the richest and most powerful in California and in Beijing,” with no meaningful guardrails in place to slow its development.
“We didn’t leave the atom bomb to a few billionaires to police themselves,” Davey is expected to tell delegates. As liberals, we know that something as existential as nuclear weapons or climate change cannot be left in the hands of a powerful few. And so it must be with AI. We can’t leave it to Mark Zuckerberg, to Sam Altman, or to Elon Musk to save us.
The Lib Dem leader will propose a new international body, modelled on the IAEA and headquartered in the United Kingdom, to oversee global AI development. He will frame the initiative as a new global movement dedicated to protecting humanity from the dangers of super-intelligent systems, citing repeated warnings from AI researchers that artificial intelligence could pose a civilisational threat within the decade.
A Scathing Critique of Rivals
Davey will use his speech to take aim at Labour leader Andy Burnham, accusing him of depending on Donald Trump and Silicon Valley figures to address the AI challenge. The prime minister’s announcement of a new AI partnership with the United States, revealed ahead of Trump’s address to the UN general assembly, will come under particular scrutiny.
Davey will argue that the partnership “doesn’t come close to meeting the scale of this threat” and “only risks making us more dependent on a Trump administration in the pocket of the tech bros.”
The attack marks a significant escalation in the Lib Dems’ broader strategy of positioning themselves as the party offering disciplined, evidence-based alternatives to both Labour’s cautious approach and Reform UK’s populist noise.
Conference Agenda Beyond AI
Davey’s AI proposals are only one element of a wider programme being unveiled at Brighton. Home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson has already announced plans for a big tech levy and a new online crime agency targeting offences including child sexual abuse material, drug and weapons trafficking, and deepfake AI-generated pornographic images.
Wilkinson also called for proper regulation of Meta’s smart glasses, describing them as “perv goggles” and warning that people, especially women, were being recorded without consent. This is becoming the new norm, because this government won’t stand up to big tech to protect our civil liberties.
On the economy, Davey outlined a proposal to cut fuel duty by 10p a litre for three months, alongside a reduction in the bus fare cap from £3 to £1. He confirmed further tax cuts were on the horizon, to be financed by higher economic growth driven by the party’s bid for entry into the EU’s single market.
Defending the party’s agenda against critics who argue it lacks ambition, Davey acknowledged the noisy political landscape but insisted that competing with populist distractions was not the answer. It’s a very noisy environment at the moment, he told the BBC. But let me tell you, some of the noise generated by the populists are things that divide our country, that are nasty, or that are just completely crazy. I want to tell people that we have really well thought through policies that will cut their taxes.
Davey also offered a measured assessment of Burnham, praising his interest in reforming adult social care while suggesting the jury remains out on whether Labour would deliver as a government.
Why it Matters
Davey’s call for an international AI treaty represents one of the most ambitious policy proposals to emerge from any UK party conference this year. Whether or not the idea gains traction beyond the conference hall, it reframes the political conversation around artificial intelligence as a matter of global security rather than merely industry regulation. With governments worldwide scrambling to keep pace with rapid technological advancement, the Lib Dems are deliberately placing themselves at the forefront of a debate that could define this generation’s approach to the most transformative technology since the internet itself.
