On 25 July 2025 the UK Online Safety Act officially came into force, marking one of the biggest changes to digital regulation in the UK. The law is designed to protect users, especially children, from harmful online content. Its reach is much wider than many expected and affects almost every organisation that offers digital services.
Any business that handles communication, content, or data processing needs to take notice. That includes those using AI tools, chatbots and automation platforms.
In this article we explain what the UK Online Safety Act means for businesses that use conversational AI and how askelie can support compliance, transparency and responsible automation.
A Quick Overview of the UK Online Safety Act
The UK Online Safety Act was first positioned as legislation for large social platforms and search engines. The final version is broader. It introduces duties of care for any provider of an online service that enables user-to-user interaction or content creation.
Key features include:
- Mandatory risk assessments for user interactions
- Protection against illegal content, misinformation and algorithmic harm
- Duty to implement age-appropriate controls and filtering
- Requirements to report content risks to Ofcom
- Financial penalties of up to £18 million or 10 percent of global turnover for non-compliance
Although the main focus is on companies like Meta, TikTok and YouTube, the UK Online Safety Act has implications for any business that allows user input, messaging or content generation. That includes AI platforms and automation tools.
Why the UK Online Safety Act Matters for Conversational AI
If your organisation uses an AI assistant or chatbot, even internally, you may be handling content that now falls within the scope of the Act.
Examples include:
- Customer support bots handling queries
- AI tools that summarise or reply to free-text input
- Systems that generate policy guidance or advice for end-users
- Interfaces that interact with children or vulnerable adults
- Automation of communications across email, chat or web
Even for internal use, if the assistant produces information for employees or contractors, you may need to show that controls, accuracy and safeguards are in place. The UK Online Safety Act focuses on results and outcomes, not just design.
5 Compliance Risks Under the UK Online Safety Act for AI Tools
Here are some of the most common risks that need attention.
Misinformation and Accuracy
If an AI assistant gives misleading guidance or interprets a query incorrectly, this may be a breach of duty of care.
Data Exposure
Generated content could include or reveal personal data. If that information is reused or shared without controls, it creates GDPR and safety issues.
Inappropriate Responses
If generative AI is not governed properly, it may produce biased or harmful content. This is especially risky in healthcare, education and legal services.
Lack of Oversight
Many organisations still treat chatbots as unregulated tools. The UK Online Safety Act makes clear that being unable to explain how a decision or recommendation was produced is no longer acceptable.
How askelie Helps with UK Online Safety Act Compliance
askelie has been built to support responsible and auditable automation. We work with sectors where compliance is essential, such as healthcare, legal services, and local government.
Our approach includes:
- Prompt Governance and Response Controls
All AI responses are based on approved documents, content and rules, ensuring consistency with organisational policy. - Human Oversight
askelie can flag responses for review or require human approval before they are used. This is essential for higher-risk interactions. - Safeguarding and Age Controls
For education and care, askelie can restrict access by role or department and filter or redact outputs accordingly. - Transparency and Audit
Our platform does not rely on uncontrolled third-party black box models. All outputs respect data boundaries and maintain a clear audit trail.
Practical Steps to Take Now
Even if your business is not directly targeted by the Act it is sensible to prepare.
- Review your AI use cases
- Assess content and safeguarding risks
- Ensure you can audit AI responses
- Test for bias and inappropriate outputs
- Align outputs with policies and source content
askelie as Your Compliance Partner
We do not just build AI for convenience. We build it for clarity, governance and resilience. Whether you are automating helpdesk queries, onboarding, policy distribution or accessibility through askVERA, we make sure your automation tools strengthen your duty of care.
Our team includes legal, risk and compliance experts who can help you map use cases, design safe workflows and roll out conversational AI with confidence.
Final Thought
The UK Online Safety Act is a turning point. Digital platforms are no longer a free space without rules. Organisations now have to prove that automation is safe, fair and governed.
At askelie we welcome this. It raises standards and creates a clear framework for responsible innovation. If you are thinking about AI but unsure how to approach compliance, now is the time to start the conversation. We are here to help.
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