Profile

Political

Liberal Democrat House of Lords spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology. Former Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence which reported in 2018 with "AI in the UK Ready Willing and Able?" and its follow- up report in 2020 "AI in the UK: No Room for Complacency". He co-founded and has co-chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence since 2017.

From 2023, a member of the Industry and Regulators Committee. He was the initiator of and subsequent member of the Special Inquiry Select Committee into AI in Weapons Systems whose final report "Proceed with caution: Artificial Intelligence in weapon systems" published on 1st December 2023.

Former member of the House of Lords Select Committees on Communications (2011-15), Risk Assessment and Planning (2020-21) and the Joint Select Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill (2021-22). Vice Chair for a number of All-Party Parliamentary Groups - including Data Analytics; Digital Inclusion; Digital Regulation and Responsibility; Digital Skills; and Intellectual Property.

A founding member of the OECD Parliamentary Group on AI and a former Consultant to the Council of Europe’s Ad-hoc Committee on AI ("CAHAI").

He is author of the book, ‘Living with the Algorithm: Servant or Master?: AI Governance and Policy for the Future’. It identifies the risks associated with AI, including the potential for bias and discrimination, reputational harm, and the potential for widescale redundancy of millions of jobs and addresses current approaches to regulation and governance of AI internationally in both the public and private sector, how to meet and mitigate the challenges, avoid inadequate or ill-considered regulatory approaches, and protect society from the unforeseen consequences that could flow from unregulated AI development and adoption.

Until July 2004 Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson and thereafter until 2010 Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Culture, Media and Sport, in the House of Lords. Former Spokesperson on the Creative Industries (2015-17)

Introduced and ensured the passage through the House of Lords of the 2003 Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship Act and the Live Music Act 2012

Chair of the Liberal Party from 1986-88. Made CBE for political services in 1988 and a life peer in 1998. Chair of the Liberal Democrats Finance Committee from 1989-98 and Federal Treasurer of the Liberal Democrats from 2005-10.

Business

Chair of the Board of Trust Alliance Group (formerly Ombudsman Services), an independent not-for-profit group that provides dispute resolution for communications and energy utilities.

He is a Consultant on AI Policy and Regulation with global law firm, DLA Piper, where former positions held include, London Managing Partner (2011-16), Head of UK Government Affairs, Chair of its China and Middle East Desks, International Business Relations Partner and Co-Chair of Global Government Relations.

Fellow of the Society for Computers and Law. Former member of the Advisory Board of Airmic (Association of Insurance and Risk Managers in Industry and Commerce) and former Board Member of the Corporate Finance Faculty of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ("ICAEW").

Previously Group Company Secretary and Legal Adviser of Kingfisher Plc from 1986-95, where he coordinated Kingfisher's contribution to the Shopping Hours Reform Campaign which led to the Sunday Trading Act 1993. Before Kingfisher, held senior legal positions at Grand Metropolitan, now Diageo plc (Legal Director, Grand Metropolitan Retailing 1984-86) and London Weekend Television (Head of Legal Services 1980-83) now part of ITV plc.

Education, Charity and Voluntary

He has been Chair of Council of Queen Mary University of London ("QMUL") since 2016. He was Chair of the Advisory Council of the former Institute for Ethical AI in Education ("IEAIED"), founded by Sir Anthony Seldon which published its final report in March 2021. Chair of Council of the School of Pharmacy, University of London (2008-12) before its merger with University College London, whereupon he became an external member of the Council of University College London and Chair of its Audit Committee (2012-17).

President of Ambitious about Autism (formerly Treehouse) an autism education charity and school for children with autism and other communication disorders and its former Chair.

Trustee of Space for Giants, an international conservation charity.

Council Member of the Heart of the City; Fellow of the Public Relations Consultants Association and Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and an Ambassador for ACID (Anti-Copying in Design).

He is a Patron of Attitude is Everything and Music Venue Trust.

Research