Call for Al ethics policy 'like Skynet' taking over

Green councillors who called for Bath and North East Somerset Council to adopt an Al ethics policy have been told they are acting 'like Skynet' is taking over.

- John Wimperis Local democracy reporter

Skynet is the fictional AI from iconic 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic The Terminator, which fights humanity after becoming self-aware.

The Liberal Democrat-run council uses three different AI programs for a host of uses, including administrative work for social care teams.

A motion from the Green group urged the council to establish an ethics policy around the technology, covering its impact on jobs and the environment, and committing to transparency about where it is used.

Grant Johnson (Paulton, Labour) told the meeting: "The Greens have brought forward an important topic tonight.

"Sadly their motion reads less like a vision of the future and more like a warning that Skynet is about to go live somewhere in B&NES."

Mr Johnson said: "Let me reassure everyone, the closest thing we have to a robot uprising in B&NES is MagicNotes generating a summary of a meeting.