# Bank of England: AI regulation not first step

> Bank of England governor says AI testing must come before regulation.
- Title: Bank of England: AI regulation not first step · BBC News
- Summary: Bank of England governor says AI testing must come before regulation. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey argues rigorous AI testing should precede…
- Keywords: bank of england, ai testing, regulation, andrew bailey, artificial intelligence, frontier ai, business, finance, Bank, England, first, step
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.com/news/articles/cvzez7k0pn40o
- Published: 2026-09-30T14:00:33.827+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bank of england, ai testing, regulation, andrew bailey, artificial intelligence, frontier ai, business, finance
## Bank of England governor
Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, wrote his first Substack article stating AI regulation is not the right place to start.

> is not the right place to start
## AI risks and benefits
Bailey said AI risks are real and increasingly significant but benefits are immense, so development should not be halted or prohibited.

> real and increasingly significant
## Testing over regulation
Bailey called for rigorous AI testing to find vulnerabilities and create safeguards before any regulatory framework emerges.

> rigorous testing to find vulnerabilities
## Frontier AI risks
Bailey highlighted frontier AI systems that could become self-governing closed loops without effective intervention.

> frontier ai - highly-advanced, self-learning systems
## AI companies' stance
OpenAI and Anthropic called for slowing AI development and international risk assessments, but Trump rejected slowdowns.

> the us is leading the ai race ahead of china
## Next steps
Bailey said testing must accelerate but proceed with humility, as failures are expected but not evidence of failed testing.

> that is not evidence that testing has failed
## Key takeaway

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey argues rigorous AI testing should precede regulation to manage risks.