Artificial intelligence will be unleashed across the UK to deliver a decade of national renewal, under a new plan announced this week by the UK Government.
In a marked move from the previous government’s approach, the Prime Minister is throwing the full weight of Whitehall behind this industry by agreeing to take forward all 50 recommendations set out by Matt Clifford in his game-changing AI Opportunities Action Plan.
The plan introduces new measures that will create dedicated AI Growth Zones that speed up planning permission and give them the energy connections they need to power up AI.
It comes as three major tech companies – Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl – have committed to £14 billion investment in the UK to build the AI infrastructure the UK needs to harness the potential of this technology and deliver 13,250 jobs across the UK. That’s on top of the £25 billion in AI investment announced at the International Investment Summit.
Damian Stirrett, Group Vice President & General Manager UK & Ireland at ServiceNow, said: “The Prime Minister’s announcement of the new AI Opportunities Plan is an exciting milestone for UK industries. To remain competitive as a country, we must put the plan’s ambitions into action through investing in education, upskilling initiatives and partnerships between the public and private sectors. We are at a critical point in time, where political leaders recognise the great potential of technology as a growth driver leading to impactful business transformation.”
Dr. Kjell Carlsson, Head of AI strategy at Domino Data Lab, said: “The UK’s measured approach to AI regulation is a competitive advantage. By focusing on innovation and safety without the uncertainty and potentially lethal penalties of the EU AI Act, Britain can position itself as a haven for European AI start-ups and enterprises looking for a regulatory environment that both promotes innovation and safety. If the UK doubles down on attracting talent and crafting an effective, responsive regulatory system, it has the potential to be a leader in driving sustainable economic growth with AI.”
James Hall, Vice President and Country Manager UK&I at Snowflake, said: “The Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan and blueprint demonstrates how integral AI is to national renewal. Such technology can be a major force for enhancing productivity in the public sector and improving people’s lives, but to truly capitalise on AI’s potential, the UK Government must also prioritise investments in data infrastructure. AI systems are only as powerful as the data they’re trained on, making high-quality, accessible data essential for the plan’s ambitions. Modern, scalable and secure data-sharing enables faster and more accurate AI insights that avoid hallucinations. This will help the UK remain globally competitive and, if the right balance is struck, it can lead in offering responsible and effective AI applications, benefitting everything from supercomputing to fixing potholes.”
Alan Price, CEO of BrightHR, has welcomed the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan and its announcement of over 100 AI trials aimed at boosting productivity for small businesses. While praising this as a positive step, Price stresses that SMEs will need a clear roadmap and tailored support from the Government to implement AI safely, address key risks and unlock its full potential.
“It’s encouraging to see the Government prioritising AI adoption among SMEs, particularly with the announcement today of over 100 AI trials aimed at harnessing AI to boost small business productivity,” Price said. “The AI Opportunities Action Plan is a welcome step towards a more progressive and innovative attitude towards AI in the UK; one that I hope will encourage more small businesses across the country to overcome their fears about AI and start adopting it more widely to support growth.”
Paul Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer, at SS&C Blue Prism, said: “We see the AI Opportunities Action Plan as a step towards progress. This will be particularly well received in industries such as healthcare, where AI and automation will be pivotal in reducing wait times and improving patient experiences.
“For those that use automation and AI within the NHS already, the benefits are plain to see. For example, a trust in north-east England used automation to save over 40 hours of manual work each month by automating data collection for suspected colon cancer cases.
“Elsewhere, customers have used AI-powered automations to process documents 1,000 times faster than humans – and with a 98% accuracy rate.
“These efficiency improvements can free clinical staff to focus on more important tasks, like spending time with patients, developing personalised treatment plans and conducting in-depth consultations.
“The NHS is doing a fantastic job of leading the way with innovation, but further support is needed for more wide-spread change.”
Steven Drost, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at CodeBase, said: “AI could boost global GDP by 7% over the next decade, but realising this requires supportive infrastructure and innovation. A techscaler ecosystem is an ideal blueprint to support SMEs, in turn delivering on the UK’s AI ambitions. An ecosystem provides access to diverse communities across the UK and a network of experts, plus, practical guidance and resources (for example, initiatives like CodeBase’s AI Navigator), to support SMEs adopt cutting-edge tech and remain competitive. Bridging the SME adoption gap must be a national priority if the UK’s AI ambitions are to deliver broad-based economic growth and ensure smaller firms aren’t left behind in the race for Digital Transformation.”
Dr Marc Warner, CEO of Faculty, said: “The path to reviving our anaemic economy will be paved by technology – and AI is the most important of our time.
“This plan contains sensible steps to safely adopt AI at scale – and the Prime Minister is right to use the technology to arrest the decline in public services.
“But we’ve heard similar rhetoric before. Bold policy must now follow today’s encouraging soundbites if the UK is truly to have AI ‘mainlined into its veins’.”