Britain must take decisive action to harness AI in order to ensure economic prosperity and national security, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has said.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the minister stated that the UK should play an important role in shaping the development of AI as the technology rapidly expands worldwide, arguing that this would allow the country to seize important economic opportunities and manage potential risks associated with its deployment.
Highlighting the increasingly central role played by AI in defining geopolitical relations in what she called an “age of disruption”, she stated that “what history teaches us is that the nations which pull ahead are those that master the defining currency of their age”, adding that “today, that currency is technology”.
She said: “[T]he countries which harness AI will not only lead the race to cure diseases, discover new materials and create trillion dollar companies, but also build far more powerful militaries.
“Put simply, AI is now the engine of economic power and hard power.”
Despite this, the minister emphasised that the government opposed an isolationist approach, seeking instead to become “a keystone in the global tech architecture”, working with allies while building domestic strength.
Kendall underlined the importance of AI sovereignty in improving resilience in “key national strategic priorities” and reducing overdependencies, noting that 70 per cent of global AI compute is currently in the hands of just 5 companies.
She argued that Britain’s $1 trillion tech sector, preeminent universities, talent pool, and approach to regulation which she described as “pragmatic not dogmatic” meant that the country is “uniquely placed” to succeed. She also highlighted the UK’s history of technological innovation.
Pointing to the recent launch of the Sovereign AI Unit, the success of the AI Security Institute, and partnerships forged with France, Canada, and Japan, she insisted that the UK is on the road to success.
However, she said a focus on supporting British tech businesses and working closely with other so-called ‘middle power’ nations to “set the standard” for the use of AI is crucial.
Addressing critics who advocate for pausing Britain’s adoption of AI, she stated that to do so would constitute a “double betrayal” of “British talent and British interests”.
“The choice isn’t between a world that has AI and one that does not,” she said.
“It is a choice between a world where we shape our AI future, based on our own interests and values, or where we are left at its mercy and whim.”
She added that “we are standing on the cusp of a technological British renaissance”, with scientists, founders and the government prepared to “seize this moment and opportunity for Britain”.