Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a National Centre for Information Defence to tackle state-backed, AI-enabled disinformation and accused Russia of a sustained campaign of manipulation costing around £1.3 billion a year. He warned that 'Frontier AI' will 'multiply' existing security threats and pledged that the UK will push for global AI safety standards while positioning itself as an 'honest broker.' The UK will prioritise AI during its upcoming G20 presidency, even as major players such as the US and China have not signed recent international declarations on mandatory pre-release testing.
UK To Create Centre To Counter State Disinformation And Lead Push For Global AI Safety Standards
Andy Burnham accused Russia of a "disinformation" campaign at the UN General Assembly [REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz]
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the creation of a new National Centre for Information Defence to detect and disrupt state-backed, AI-enabled disinformation campaigns, and pledged UK leadership in developing global safety standards for advanced artificial intelligence.
Burnham Speaks At The UN
In his first major international speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Burnham warned that Russian agencies are deploying 'every means at their disposal'—from automated bot networks to fake websites and falsified articles—to spread lies and sow division across the UK.
'The Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion each year on manipulating information,' Burnham told the UN General Assembly. 'They've used bots and fake websites, falsified newspaper articles, forged the branding of 28 British organisations, including universities and the BBC. We're talking about an insidious campaign that reaches into people's homes and twists what they feel about their own country and community – creating a narrative of decline, stoking division and sowing despair. On top of that we have seen cyber-attacks on our companies and institutions. And we know that AI will multiply the threat.'
Burnham also referenced the 2019 UK general election and the UK government's 2020 report, which concluded Russia had almost certainly sought to interfere in UK politics; Moscow dismissed those findings as 'Russophobia'. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a separate forum, accused Western media of promoting 'anti-Russian cliches and fantasies'.
National Centre For Information Defence
The new centre will coordinate intelligence agencies, government departments, law enforcement and social media platforms to identify and disrupt 'information warfare', with particular emphasis on campaigns that use AI to scale and automate malign influence. The government says the centre will bring together technical, intelligence and policy expertise to respond faster to hostile state activity.
AI: Opportunity And Risk
Burnham described the most advanced 'Frontier AI' systems as 'one of the most significant challenges and opportunities of our age.' He said AI will be 'key to economic growth' while also acting as a 'multiplier of risk' for disinformation, cyber-attacks and other security threats. Since taking office in July, his government has signalled a stronger focus on international cooperation and the possibility of regulation or legislation to protect the public.
Burnham said AI was a "multiplier of risk" [Bloomberg via Getty Images]
The prime minister highlighted the UK's AI Security Institute, set up under the previous administration, which conducts voluntary safety testing of major AI models before public release. Downing Street has said officials expect 'full and total visibility of model developments' from developers; however, testing by the institute remains voluntary and the company Anthropic reportedly declined to submit its latest model for evaluation.
International Coordination And The G20
Burnham pledged to place AI 'at the heart' of the UK's G20 presidency next year in Manchester and to work towards global principles that promote transparency, access for safety testing, and safe development practices. He framed the UK as an 'honest broker' given its ties to both the US and the EU.
More than 20 countries have backed a recent declaration calling for human control over AI and mandatory pre-release testing of frontier models, but key AI powers including the US and China have not signed. US President Donald Trump, speaking earlier at the UN, rejected what he called attempts to build a 'globalist scheme' to control AI and said the US would encourage, not rein in, the technology. Separately, the UK and US announced an AI and Autonomy partnership aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure.
Former cabinet minister Darren Jones urged Burnham to sign the international declaration and to broker agreement with the US on implementation, arguing there should be 'a landing zone to agree mandatory testing' without unduly harming competitive advantage.
There was no immediate public response from Russia to Burnham's speech; a Russian representative was present in the UN chamber.
What This Means: The UK is stepping up its defenses against state-backed disinformation by establishing a dedicated centre and seeking international agreement on AI safety standards. The success of those efforts will depend on cooperation from major AI developers and global powers, notably the US and China.
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