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Keir Starmer unveils plan to make UK an “AI superpower”

Keir Starmer says AI is the “defining opportunity” of our generation as he pushes for UK to become tech “superpower”
Image: Alecsandra Dragoi/ 10 Downing Street
Image: Alecsandra Dragoi/ 10 Downing Street

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The Prime Minister has unveiled plans for the UK to become “on of the great AI superpowers” with a raft of new measures.

The plans which include £14 billion of investments in new data centres key infrastructure and thousands of jobs being created have been promised to “turbocharge” the UK economy and improve public services.

The bullish announcements come after a wave of market uncertainty, suggesting the move may be in part an attempt to soothe fiscal worries over a spike in government borrowing costs and a slump in the value of the pound.

Growth in the AI and tech sector will be encouraged through the creation of “AI growth zones” across the UK, starting in Oxfordshire and Culham. These zones make it easier and quicker to set up AI businesses, making the planning permission process simpler and faster and allowing for the construction of large data centres.

Starmer also announced that a new supercomputer will be built. This was already announced by the previous government and set to be constructed in Edinburgh, but was scrapped when Labour took power.

A key goal for the new AI revolution was to make the public sector more efficient, reducing the human input in planning and admin, allowing the public services to operate on a “more human” level, freeing up workers from menial tasks, such as teachers being able to spend more time with their pupils.

He goes on to say that he wants to “make AI work for everyone in our country” and “transform the lives of working people”.

This plan also improves the efficiency of local government, with expectations of AI being used to inspect roads and spot potholes across the country. 

The vow to make the UK a “world leader” in AI is not a new pledge – Starmer is now the fifth prime minister to promise this feat after previous governments have largely failed to stimulate the sector in comparison to the advancements made by the US and China.

Part of the governments plan for AI growth is widespread investment in tech infrastructure, with tech firms having pledged £14 billion towards the construction of large data centres and tech hubs which are expected to create over 12,000 new jobs.

Addressing concerns over how the increasing use of AI in public sector roles will affect pay and job losses, the Prime Minister said: “we are absolutely making sure that we’re [focusing] on working people’s jobs and what happens to them”, citing the “changing nature of jobs” in the modern tech-driven economy and the 12,000 new jobs expected to be created.

The BBC reports that while analysis from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) support the claim that AI can increase productivity, it also warns that changes may not be immediate or seen in the short-run.

The government’s large-scale projects, such as the creation of data centres, may not be completed before the next general election, and concerns have been raised over the level of support the scheme will receive from voters unsure of Labour’s economic strategy. 

Starmer has said that he is “confident” that the effects of AI growth will be seen in a “much shorter” timeframe than currently expected. 

Speaking to the BBC, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden warned of the imperfections of AI technology, saying that while developments in the sector have been able to ease workloads and save “teachers about three-and-half hours a week” in admin work, it is “not perfect”.

AI has faced ethical questions over the risks of introducing models that can spread misinformation or discriminate against certain groups. Apple has recently faced calls to withdraw an AI system that summarises breaking news notifications after it was found to have created multiple false or inaccurate news alerts for iPhone users.

Concerns have also been lodged over the use of AI in the arts, with the acting union Equity launching a campaign called “AI show stealers”, with Paul W Fleming, Equity’s general secretary saying: “[The] government is effectively giving the green light to Big Tech to further line their pockets at the expense of our world-leading creative industries”.

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