Reuters reports that the UK will work with Microsoft, academics and other experts to build a deepfake detection system and an evaluation framework intended to set consistent expectations for how detection tools are assessed.
Regulation
GOV.UK sets out that the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 reforms to data protection and privacy in Part 5 are brought into force on 5 February 2026 by the Commencement No. 6 Regulations, alongside changes that modernise the Information Commissioner’s enforcement powers. This matters for AI deployments because the compliance baseline for personal-data processing is being updated while model use is accelerating.
Legislation.gov.uk publishes the Commencement No. 6 instrument as UKSI 2026/82, supporting clean citation for governance documentation and internal change logs linked to today’s commencement.
Legislation.gov.uk also shows the Commencement No. 5 instrument (UKSI 2026/31) bringing section 138 into force on 6 February 2026, creating offences relating to creating or requesting the creation of purported intimate images without consent or reasonable belief in consent. This links directly to synthetic media risk controls and incident response readiness.
Academia
arXiv posted “Federated Concept-Based Models” (dated 5 February 2026), which is governance-relevant because it focuses on interpretable model structures and constraints in real-world deployment, supporting arguments for transparency and explainability where decisions affect people.
Events
Big Data and AI World 2026, 4 to 5 March 2026, London. A trade conference with sessions on data governance, responsible AI adoption, and organisational capability building.
Takeaway
Two levers are tightening at once: measurement standards for deepfake detection, and the UK data protection baseline through DUAA commencement. The practical move is to treat synthetic-media controls and data governance change management as part of the same assurance story.
Sources: Reuters, GOV.UK, Legislation.gov.uk, arXiv, World AI Cannes Festival, IAPP, Tech Show London