Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has pledged to make the UK an AI “superpower”, in a bid to leverage tech developments to boost growth and deliver key services more effectively.
Launching the AI Opportunities Action Plan, Starmer spoke of the “vast potential” that AI could offer, saying the government has a responsibility to make it “work for working people”.
The action plan will encompass a vast number of projects around the UK, using AI technology to help solve everything from potholes to cancer diagnosis. It has won the backing of major tech firms, which together have committed a combined £14 billion, which will go towards supporting the 13,250 jobs set to be created as a result.
Whilst some of the rhetoric matches that of the previous government, Labour’s plans are focused heavily on growth, whereas Rishi Sunak had outlined plans for AI to mitigate against global threats.
By comparison, Starmer said his goal was to “make AI work for everyone” in the UK, with technology that “has the potential to transform the lives of working people.”
Other potential benefits to come from the action plan include improved planning and better record keeping for teachers and small business owners; a better system for detecting issues on Britain’s roads; and improvements to public sector working practices so more time can be spent delivering services not doing admin tasks.
The government enlisted the help of entrepreneur Matt Clifford CBE to advise on how best to take its strategy forward. He returned with 50 recommendations which are now forming part of the action plan.
Whilst the plan extols the benefits that AI can deliver across the country, some have urged the government to consider all elements of the tech world – not just the big companies delivering headline-grabbing results.
Among those was Tim Flagg, chief operating officer of UKAI. He told BBC News that innovation in AI spans smaller firms and even those in the non-tech sector – adding that the government would be wise to recognise this if it were to really tap into the “full potential of AI across the UK”.
