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Starmer Unveils New 50-point Plan to “Turbocharge” UK AI
The announcement comes as three major tech companies—Kyndryl, Nscale, and Vantage Data Centres—commit to £14 billion investment in the UK to build the infrastructure required to harness the potential of AI.
The UK Government has said that artificial intelligence will be “unleashed” across the country to deliver a decade of national renewal under a new plan announced today (January 13).
Unveiling details of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, Prime Minister Kier Starmer stated AI can transform the lives of working people, for instance to speed up planning consultations to get Britain building, help drive down admin for teachers so they can focus on teaching, and feed AI through cameras to spot potholes and help improve roads.
The new AI Opportunities Action Plan takes forward all 50 recommendations set out by Matt Clifford CBE, the co-founder of tech talent investment company Entrepreneur First and co-leader of the first AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in 2023.
Key changes include creating new AI Growth Zones to speed up planning proposals and build more AI infrastructure, with the first of these being Culham in Oxfordshire.
Increasing public compute capacity by twentyfold to access the processing power needed to fully embrace this kind of technology is another major component of the plan, with work on this to start “immediately” by building a new supercomputer.
A new National Data Library will also be established under the AI Opportunities Action Plan, with the aim to safely and securely unlock the value of public data and support AI development.
Further, a new team will be set up in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to seize the opportunities of AI and build the UK’s sovereign capabilities.
The announcement comes as three major tech companies—Kyndryl, Nscale, and Vantage Data Centres—commit to £14 billion investment in the UK to build the infrastructure required to harness the potential of AI, and deliver over 13,000 jobs in the UK.
This is on top of the £25 billion in investment announced at the International Investment Summit last year.
Speaking on AI’s potential and this new plan to capitalise on it, Prime Minister Kier Starmer said: “Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people.
“But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.
“Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services.
“That’s the change this government is delivering.”
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The Action Plan is at the heart of the government’s Industrial Strategy, the UK Government noted, and is the first plank of the upcoming Digital and Technology Sector Plan, which is to be published in the coming months.
Commenting on the Plan’s implications for Scotland, Heather Thomson, Interim CEO of The Data Lab, said: “The investment in AI in today’s AI Action Plan is hugely welcomed. Following the comment by Richard Lochead, MSP, on the opportunity of AI for Scotland, we wholeheartedly agree that Scotland is already well-placed to deliver on this with significant potential to benefit society for all and grow the economy.
“We see daily how AI can benefit all sectors, from health and social care to construction. The commitment to carry out the recommendations set out in the plan is significant and will help transform lives across the UK, supporting talent development, safe AI adoption and economic growth.
“Supporting the development and diversity of talent in AI is an important step to help meet the increasing demand for these skills. The creation of AI Growth Zones will also fuel innovation and growth and bringing these zones to Scotland would ensure new and innovative ideas continue to flourish.”
