UK to fight Russian disinformation and push new global AI standards, Burnham says
The UK is calling for stronger global AI standards while addressing the growing threat of disinformation.
Published: September 23, 2026
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans for a new National Centre for Information Defence and called for international cooperation on artificial intelligence standards during his first major address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The announcement came as Burnham used his UN speech to outline what he described as two connected challenges: hostile information operations targeting democratic societies and the rapidly expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence.
According to the BBC and Reuters, Burnham said the UK wants to play a larger international role in developing safeguards for advanced AI while working with other countries to counter disinformation and deepfakes.
UK announces new National Centre for Information Defence
One of the central announcements was the creation of a National Centre for Information Defence.
According to the UK government’s published transcript of Burnham’s UN speech, the centre will be tasked with helping detect, attribute and disrupt hostile state information attacks. The government says the initiative is intended to support democratic institutions and strengthen the UK’s ability to respond to information warfare.
Burnham said hostile information campaigns increasingly use technologies such as bots, fake websites and manipulated material. He argued that artificial intelligence could make these operations faster and more difficult to identify.
The Guardian reported that the proposed centre is expected to bring together expertise from intelligence agencies, law enforcement and social media companies, with an emphasis on identifying foreign information attacks and AI-generated deepfakes.
The announcement places information security alongside traditional national-security concerns, reflecting the growing role of online platforms and artificial intelligence in political communication.
Burnham accuses Russia of information manipulation
During his UN address, Burnham specifically accused Russia of conducting disinformation campaigns against the UK and its allies.
He said Russian agencies had used bots, fake websites and falsified newspaper articles and claimed that the branding of 28 British organisations, including universities and the BBC, had been forged.
Burnham also cited the UK’s previous assessment that Russia had sought to interfere in the 2019 UK general election. These are claims made by the British government and Burnham; Russia has rejected allegations of this kind.
Reuters reported that Burnham said Russia spends approximately £1.3 billion a year on manipulating information.
The issue has been part of a wider debate among Western governments about foreign influence operations, online manipulation and the increasing use of artificial intelligence to produce convincing false or misleading content.
AI described as both opportunity and risk
Artificial intelligence was another major focus of Burnham’s address.
The prime minister described advanced or “frontier” AI as both a significant economic opportunity and a potential multiplier of existing risks.
The BBC reported that Burnham argued AI could be important for economic growth while also increasing the scale of threats such as disinformation and cyberattacks.
Burnham said governments need to work together to establish international principles covering the development and use of advanced AI.
His proposal includes greater transparency around AI systems, access to models and safeguards intended to ensure that advanced systems are developed safely.
Reuters reported that Burnham wants Britain to help lead an international effort toward a common set of AI principles and standards.
UK wants a role between major AI powers
Burnham presented the UK as a potential intermediary between major technology powers.
Britain maintains close relationships with the United States and European Union while also engaging with other major economies, giving the government a basis for arguing that it could help bring different positions together.
The UK’s AI Security Institute was also highlighted in the speech. The institute works on testing and evaluating advanced AI systems to identify potential safety risks.
Burnham said AI would be a major priority during the UK’s upcoming G20 presidency, which is due to put Britain at the centre of discussions among the world’s largest economies.
Reuters reported that Burnham wants the UK to use that position to push discussions around global AI standards.
Global agreement faces challenges
The push for common AI standards comes as governments remain divided over how much regulation is appropriate.
A proposal supported by more than 20 countries calls for advanced AI systems to remain under human control and supports mandatory testing of frontier AI models before release. The UK, United States and China have not all adopted the same position on those proposals.
The United States has also expressed reservations about international attempts to establish broad rules governing AI.
That means any global framework would require negotiations between countries with different regulatory approaches and significant interests in the development of artificial intelligence.
The challenge is particularly significant because the US and China remain major centres of AI development, while European countries have pursued their own regulatory approaches.
AI and disinformation increasingly overlap
One of the most important themes emerging from Burnham’s speech is the connection between artificial intelligence and information security.
Traditional disinformation campaigns can require websites, social-media accounts, fabricated documents or coordinated messaging. Generative AI can potentially make the production of convincing text, images, audio and video considerably easier.
This has raised concerns about deepfakes and synthetic media being used to impersonate public figures or create misleading narratives.
The proposed National Centre for Information Defence is therefore intended not only to identify conventional information operations but also to prepare for attacks that use newer technologies.
The UK government’s stated approach is to work with security agencies, law enforcement and other organisations to improve the country’s ability to identify and respond to these threats.
Russia disputes Western allegations
Burnham’s comments were delivered while a Russian representative was present at the UN.
Russia has previously rejected British allegations concerning interference and information operations. The Guardian reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had also criticised Western reporting and accused Western media of relying on what he described as anti-Russian narratives.
The competing claims underline the difficulty of establishing responsibility for information operations, particularly when campaigns operate through anonymous accounts, fake websites and intermediaries.
For governments, the challenge is not only identifying who is behind a campaign but also establishing evidence that can withstand public and international scrutiny.
What happens next?
The proposed information-defence centre will need to move from announcement to implementation before its effectiveness can be assessed.
The same applies to Burnham’s international AI agenda. Establishing common standards would require cooperation between governments, technology companies and international institutions.
The UK is expected to use its upcoming G20 presidency to continue discussions about AI safety, transparency and international cooperation.
Meanwhile, the growth of AI-generated content means governments and technology platforms face increasing pressure to improve the identification of manipulated material.
Burnham’s UN speech therefore links two increasingly connected policy areas: protecting information environments from hostile manipulation and establishing safeguards for increasingly powerful AI systems.
For the UK, the government’s challenge will be turning these international proposals into practical mechanisms while maintaining cooperation with countries that have significantly different approaches to technology, regulation and national security.
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