{
  "id": 16115673,
  "title": "The Guardian view on AI safety: the push for global regulation must advance | Editorial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/the-guardian-view-on-ai-safety-the-push-for-global-regulation-must",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-22T17:30:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/22/the-guardian-view-on-ai-safety-the-push-for-global-regulation-must-advance"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The current US administration is hindering efforts for global AI safety regulations, but public pressure for protection will ultimately prevail. Recently discovered critical flaws in PHP software, which powers much of the web, could allow attackers to take control of affected servers. Precautions such as taking websites offline were taken while fixes were installed. The paradox is that AI, which helped uncover the flaw, also poses a threat by accelerating the ability to exploit it.\n\nAmazon stated that it detected an attempted exploit before the public disclosure of the PHP vulnerabilities. This incident highlights AI's central role in security, not always for the right reasons. OpenAI's models have been responsible for multiple alarming hacks this year, including a security breach of an Australian health department website and an attack on Hugging Face, an AI services platform. AI Minister Kanishka Narayan warned that a similar cyber-attack on the UK is \"likely, if not inevitable.\"\n\nBritain is not alone in its vulnerability. The country is more advanced than many in understanding the scale of the challenge. The AI Security Institute, based in London, is internationally recognized as an authority in this rapidly evolving field. Meanwhile, a cybersecurity bill to protect critical digital infrastructure is going through parliament.\n\nNarayan acknowledges that national governments face limitations in protecting their citizens from a global threat due to the US administration's opposition to international negotiations on AI regulation. President Donald Trump has rejected calls for such negotiations, dismissing the need for external monitoring and guardrails on technology company activities. Trump believes that America's position as the most advanced frontier of AI is a strategic asset that would be compromised if other nations, particularly China, were allowed to set the pace of advancement. He views this as a race for global supremacy and is dismissive of caution, saying \"Whoever wins AI, wins.\"\n\nThis reckless approach to technology is potentially dangerous, with the risk of catastrophic incidents or severe economic shocks growing at a rate that more responsible leaders cannot ignore. Andy Burnham plans to prioritize AI when the UK holds the G20 presidency for the first half of next year, comparing his role to Gordon Brown's leadership position during the 2009 financial crisis. However, the world has changed since then, and Burnham's convening power will not sway the Trump administration, which treats historic allies and multilateral institutions with contempt.\n\nThe week's PHP emergency serves as a reminder that America's technological lead offers no protection from disruption. Shielding US citizens and businesses from such turmoil requires international cooperation, but a race for AI supremacy puts this at risk. The drive to build a global regulatory architecture for AI must advance, despite the challenges posed by the current US administration.",
  "summary": "The current US administration is an obstacle, but public demand for protection will ultimately prevail Organisations around the world scrambled on Thursday to fix critical flaws in PHP, the software that powers much of the web. The vulnerabilities could allow attackers to take control of affected servers. Some websites were taken offline as a precaution while fixes were installed. The paradox is…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}