Skip to content
Premium Symbol Premium

The UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan: An investor’s perspective

If the AI Action Plan can really deliver, business leaders can commit to investing in AI with confidence

14/10/2024. London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts the UK Investment Summit at Guildhall. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street

Sixty years ago, celebrated science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke predicted an “absolutely fantastic” future shaped by computers, intelligent machines, and interconnected systems. Many of his predictions—like the internet and remote working—have come to fruition, although not exactly as he imagined. AI, though undeniably advanced, is not yet sentient.

Our government, quite rightly, believes that AI will turbo-charge growth and boost our standard of living. It has now set out its stall through its ambitious AI Action Plan, designed to “deliver a decade of national renewal”.

This includes investing in infrastructure, developing AI growth zones, investing in the UK’s sovereign capability and accelerating the use of AI in the public sector. The UK’s ambition is clear: to drive innovation, create an environment where businesses like ours can thrive and improve the lives of citizens....