UK must not let AI ‘wash over our economy’, says Science Secretary

The UK cannot let AI “wash over our economy and pick up the pieces afterwards”, the Science Secretary has said as he prepares to launch the Government’s plans for the technology.

Peter Kyle is set to unveil the Government’s plans for AI alongside the Prime Minister on Monday, setting out how the UK will encourage tech innovation in a bid to boost growth.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the AI Action Plan, Mr Kyle said he wanted to make sure that people “from every background” could use and benefit from the technology.

Acknowledging that there would be “disruption” to the jobs market as a result of AI, he told Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips it would “also create a lot of new jobs”.

He said: “If it’s used wisely, it will make workers’ lives in the workplace much more efficient, effective and satisfying.”

But he also stressed the need to seize the opportunities presented by AI and place Britain in the “forefront” of innovation, saying: “I’m not someone who thinks we should just sit back and let this technology wash over our economy and pick up the pieces afterwards.”

While the details of the AI Action Plan will be revealed on Monday, Mr Kyle said it would include a “sovereign unit” that would bring the sector together to encourage innovation.

Comparing the UK to Silicon Valley, he said “all of the constituent elements” were present in Britain but “it’s not coming together, adding up to more than the sum of its parts”.

He said: “What we find is incredible innovation – we are very good at creating new products, services and technologies – but so often when it gets to a certain size it has to go to America to get funded.

“What we want to do is bring those things together and coordinate it with a new unit that reports directly to myself and the Prime Minister so that we can bring together and make the most of these assets.”

Mr Kyle has previously said the UK could become an AI “sweet spot”, attracting the sort of investment and innovation that could cut government costs and boost economic growth.

The bid for growth has become more urgent over the past week, with rising bond yields threatening to derail Labour’s already tight spending plans.

But Mr Kyle has also insisted that this must not come at the price of weakening safety standards.

On Sunday, he told the Observer: “None of our basic protections for children and vulnerable people are up for negotiation… Safety is not something that is pitted against economic investment.”

Monday’s action plan is also expected to address infrastructure concerns, including how the UK will build the data centres and electricity grid necessary for AI innovation.

It will also have to deal with the technology’s large demand for water. Data centres require water to keep them cool, which could become a problem if they have to compete with demand for drinking water during hot weather.