One of Reading’s MPs has been given a leading role in holding the government to take the lead on AI and related technology.

Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East, has been appointed the  Shadow Minister for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intellectual Property.

The role involves scrutinising the government policy on AI and intellectual property, which covers copyright law and the defence of ideas and inventions of individuals and employers.

Mr Rodda said: “After two and a half years as Labour’s Shadow Minister for Pensions, I am thrilled to be asked by Keir Starmer to take on a new brief as Labour’s Shadow Minister for AI and Intellectual Property.

“This new role will work with Labour’s Science, Innovation and Technology team to think about how we use AI as a society and how we protect intellectual property.

“The development of AI is fast-paced and will have a huge impact on how we all live and work and I am really excited to get started.”

If Labour wins the next election and Mr Rodda is still in the position, he will be in charge of formulating government policy.

An example of AI is ChatGPT, which is primarily used to answer questions, similar to Apple’s digital assistant Siri and Amazon Alexa.

The government minister for AI and Intellectual Property is Jonathan Berry, 5th Viscount Camrose, a member of the House of Lords.

His responsibilities include managing copyright tribunals, the Office for AI and the Intellectual Property Office.