Post-Brexit ambitions: UK outlines 10-year plan to become global leader in AI
The UK has outlined a 10-year plan today to make the country a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI), in a bid to draw in foreign investment and shape the way it is regulated globally.
In the country’s first AI strategy, which comes amid London Tech Week, the UK has proposed a new white paper on AI regulation.
There are also plans to launch a new national programme to support research and development – which the government said it would raise investment in to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027 in its AI Sector Deal earlier this year.
With the UK’s ambition to use technology as one of its post-Brexit selling points, a fresh approach to AI could help stop online banking fraud, speed up disease diagnosis and unlock the potential for driverless cars.
“The UK already punches above its weight internationally and we are ranked third in the world behind the USA and China in the list of top countries for AI,” Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Minister Chris Philip said, adding that the strategy will help the UK “seize the potential of artificial intelligence and play a leading role in shaping the way the world governs it.”
It comes ahead of the upcoming National Cyber Strategy which is set to continue pushing for building security into the development of AI.
In January, the AI Council published its AI Roadmap which recommended a new national strategy to build on the £1bn AI Sector Deal which sought to take advantage of AI and big data – “one of the great opportunities of our age,” the policy paper said.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said: “The UK is already a world leader in certain aspects of AI – and this strategy helps to define how to enhance those capabilities further to ensure that the UK can both develop and use AI for the benefit of citizens.”
Business leaders have welcomed the strategy, as it can help firms in the automotive sector to be more climate conscious.
Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Warren East said: “For Rolls-Royce, it’s critical to our net zero ambitions, the sustainability of our business and helping our customers.”