Exclusive:
Writing for the Mirror, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle says the AI ‘opportunities for Britain are huge’ and that we need to be sure ‘those benefits don’t slip through our fingers’
To the casual observer, AI is often seen as one of two things – some distant, futuristic concept with 0s and 1s on a computer screen. Or something which poses great risks as a modern-day Pandora’s box.
Of course, safety is crucial. I am clear-eyed about that. But the opportunities for Britain are huge. We need to take decisive action now, so those benefits don’t slip through our fingers. That’s why today, we’re putting the UK on the front foot, setting out how this government is putting AI to work transforming our lives – at both home and work – and delivering our Plan for Change.
We’re already seeing how AI will make Mirror readers’ lives easier. In our NHS we are already using AI to speed up diagnoses for cancer – a horrendous disease which will touch all of us over the course of our lives. It is unlocking new treatments for patients, giving us more precious time with our loved ones, and delivering groundbreaking surgical techniques to support our incredible NHS workforce.
In classrooms, teachers are using AI to plan lessons and mark homework, ensuring our youngsters get as much facetime as possible to get the most out of their education. But there’s so much more waiting to be unlocked.
Experts say that AI could boost our productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year, which would be worth an average of £47 billion to the UK every year over a decade. That’s why our plan to put Britain front and centre of this revolution is so important.
The fire of British entrepreneurial spirit burns bright in so many communities. Whether that’s Dundee – with a global reputation for its video game industry, or our semiconductor cluster in South Wales – creating the building blocks which are powering the technologies of tomorrow. Our plan, announced today, builds on that spirit.
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New AI Growth Zones – the first of these in Oxfordshire – will drive more jobs and investment at the heart of communities across the country, so our young people aren’t forced to leave town to get on. It’s working people who will drive this revolution. That’s why we will boost the number of AI graduates from our universities, and put every effort into training British workers in jobs for the future. Going a step further, we will also ramp up our supercomputer capacity twenty-fold, giving us the processing power we need to deliver life-changing innovations to all parts of the economy. This government was elected on a platform of change.
That change means seizing the opportunities of AI right here, right now, to transform the public services we rely on everyday – freeing up our teachers, doctors and social care staff from the burden of admin.
Make no mistake, this plan will make Britain a world-leader. It will put AI to work for working people.