UK intensifies scrutiny of Grok deepfake harms and compliance with Online Safety Act (The Guardian). The UK government and media regulator Ofcom are investigating Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and its integration with the Grok AI tool after public outrage over sexualised AI‑generated images. The government says existing laws making such content illegal are being enforced and may be strengthened, and X asserts it is acting to comply with UK law.
EU Parliament shapes leadership on AI Act overhaul (MLex). European Parliament committees have begun allocating key roles for processing AI Act amendments, signalling momentum in the legislative stages of future EU AI law refinement.
Trend pieces highlight 2026 as a pivotal year for AI regulatory frameworks (Dentons). Commentary from legal and compliance sources underscores 2026 as a turning point with detailed AI regulatory frameworks coming into effect (with the EU AI Act’s full application approaching) and sectoral complexities increasing.
Joint U.S.-EU regulator guidance for AI in drug development (Reuters). The U.S. FDA and the EU’s EMA released joint principles for safe, responsible use of AI in pharmaceutical research and development, reflecting transatlantic regulatory alignment and sector‑specific governance focus.
UK commentary on fragmented AI regulation landscape (Bird & Bird). Analysis points to the UK’s sectoral AI oversight model (with multiple regulators overseeing AI rather than a single authority) contrasting with the EU model and framing ongoing governance debates.
Regulation
Taiwan’s Artificial Intelligence Basic Act enters force (Lee and Li). Taiwan’s AI Basic Act was promulgated today, establishing a comprehensive statutory framework balancing AI innovation, human‑centric principles, and rights protections, including definitions of AI and governance mechanisms through a national AI strategy committee.
Academia
“Computational Compliance for AI Regulation: Blueprint for a New Research Domain” - Marino & Lane (arXiv). Proposes a research framework for algorithmic compliance automation to meet AI regulatory requirements at scale, suggesting measurable benchmarks for compliance‑focused algorithms.
“It’s complicated. The relationship of algorithmic fairness and non‑discrimination regulations in the EU AI Act” - Meding (arXiv). Analyses how the EU AI Act’s fairness and non‑discrimination provisions intersect with traditional legal frameworks, recommending more specific auditing methodologies.
Events
Technomoral Conversation: What’s the Story with AI? Exploring AI Narratives. Date: 11 February 2026 (free webinar). A discussion on the narratives shaping AI’s cultural and ethical understanding, hosted via Eventbrite for interested participants.
Takeaway
Regulatory focus on harm and governance intensifies in response to generative AI misuse. Today’s reporting highlights government and regulatory action, particularly in the UK and EU, reacting to harms associated with AI tools (e.g., deepfakes) and advancing frameworks for oversight. This reflects broader momentum toward embedding safety and accountability into AI governance ahead of key regulatory milestones like the EU AI Act’s full applicability date.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian, Dentons, MLex, CorporateComplianceInsights, Lee and Li, arXiv, Bird & Bird, Eventbrite