Publications

The document is a comprehensive framework created by the Central Digital and Data Office for the UK Government, providing guidelines for the adoption and responsible use of generative AI within government and public sector organizations. The framework is organized around ten guiding principles.

Regulatory sandboxes, controlled regulatory environments for the testing of novel products or processes, have garnered an increasing amount of attention over the last decade. More recently, regulatory sandboxes have been presented as innovation-friendly instruments. This article contends that fostering responsible innovation through regulatory sandboxes presents significant challenges. First, there is no consensus on what the advancement of innovation entails, how to achieve it, and what the role of regulations and regulatory sandboxes should be in it. Second, there is a lack of clarity regarding the definition and functioning of regulatory sandboxes. Third, there is a risk of regulatory capture due to the close collaboration between regulators and regulatees. Drawing on Italy’s initial experiences with general and sector-specific regulatory sandboxes and existing scholarship on experimental regulatory instruments, this article contributes to the ongoing debate on regulation and innovation by critically examining the interplay between regulatory sandboxes and the promotion of responsible innovation. Furthermore, it explores the impact of regulatory sandboxes on the evolving collaborative dimensions of public law and provides policymakers and regulators with actionable insights for navigating this innovative regulatory tool.

Rather than proposing any single model for AI governance at this stage, the foregoing preliminary recommendations focus on the principles and functions to which any such regime must aspire. Over the coming months, we will consult — individually and in groups — with diverse stakeholders around the world. This includes participation at events tasked with discussing the issues in this report as well as engagement with governments, the private sector, civil society, and research and technical communities. We will also pursue our research, including on risk assessment methodologies and governance interoperability. Case studies will be developed to help think about landing issues identified in the report in specific contexts. We also intend to dive deep into a few areas, including OpenSource, AI and the financial sector, standard setting, intellectual property, human rights, and the future of work by leveraging existing efforts and institutions.