British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to make the UK an artificial intelligence “superpower” as part of his pro-growth, pro-innovation approach to regulation. This plan aims to tap into the technology’s potential to boost productivity by 1.5% annually, worth £47 billion.
Starmer promised to create a supportive regulatory environment for AI innovation, while ensuring that public data is accessible to researchers through a National Data Library. The government plans to accelerate planning permission and energy connections for data centres, including the construction of its first centre in Culham, Oxfordshire.
However, Starmer acknowledged the need to strike a balance between promoting growth and restricting the technology’s impact. He emphasized the potential benefits of AI, such as speeding up planning consultations, helping small businesses, and reducing bureaucratic burdens.
The announcement comes at a time when Britain’s economy faces fresh challenges, with the Labour government’s highest tax-raising budget since 1993 having dented business confidence.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-starmer-outline-plan-make-britain-world-leader-ai-2025-01-12