Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Blog

On May 25, 2026, the UK government announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) between the UK AI Security Institute and the Australian AI Safety Institute aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on artificial intelligence (“AI”) security and safety.

Under the MoU, the two institutes will cooperate on frontier AI (the most advanced systems at the cutting edge of current capabilities) by sharing information on emerging capabilities and risks, exchanging research on safety and security issues and developing best practices for testing and evaluation. The partnership will also address the cybersecurity implications of these systems, including their potential use in cyber attacks as well as their capacity to strengthen cyber defenses, and is expected to include staff exchanges to support closer collaboration.

The announcement frames the MoU as part of a broader effort by both governments to work with trusted international partners as AI systems become more capable and the associated risk landscape evolves. It also reflects an increasing emphasis on cross-border coordination in the development of methodologies for evaluating advanced AI models and establishing practical approaches to AI assurance and governance.

The UK government linked the new partnership to recent research from the UK AI Security Institute, indicating that advanced AI systems are making rapid progress in their ability to conduct complex cyber-related tasks. That research, according to the press release, underscores the need for continued work on AI risk assessment and on measures designed to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, and the public from misuse of the technology.

Read the press release here.