As the BBC reports Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party in the UK, unveiled a comprehensive 50-point plan for AI that aims to shape the future of technology and innovation in the country.
In a speech setting out the government’s plans to use AI across the UK to boost growth and deliver services more efficiently, the PM vowed to “Mainline AI into the Veins of the UK”.
The potential of this technology for the UK is huge, offering a dual potential to transform the public sector for vast efficiency benefits and cost savings, while simultaneously massively booting the tech sector through startups and commercialization growth.
Far from being a mere tool for automation, AI offers the potential to enhance efficiency, unlock new industries, and position the UK as a global leader in the digital age, and the UK boasts a wealth of expertise and thought leaders who can realize this vision for the UK and with it deliver these enormous economic benefits.
By embracing AI with bold vision and strategic intent, the government can unlock a £630 billion economic boost by 2035, as estimated by Accenture and Frontier Economics.
UK-AI Action Plan: Ai Powered Economic Transformation
Following the appointment of Matt Clifford the strategy is based on his new AI Opportunities Action Plan, to build a UK AI sector that can scale and compete on the global stage. This will set out how to boost take up of the technology across all parts of the economy, and consider the necessary infrastructure, talent, and data access required to drive adoption by the public and private sectors, covering:
- AI will be used by the public sector to enable its workers to spend less time doing admin and more time delivering services.
- Several “AI Growth Zones” around the UK will be created, involving big building projects and new jobs.
- AI will be fed through cameras around the country to inspect roads and spot potholes that need fixing
- Teachers and small business owners were highlighted as two groups that could start using AI for things like faster planning and record-keeping.
- AI is already being used in UK hospitals for important tasks such as diagnosing cancer more quickly and it will continue to be used to support the NHS.
A Catalyst for Efficiency and Cost Savings
Government operations, often burdened by bureaucracy and legacy systems, are ripe for reinvention through AI.
From streamlining tax collection to optimizing public healthcare delivery, AI can dramatically improve efficiency. The ultimate goal is to more effectively utilize these technologies such that they deliver a further £45 billion in cost efficiency savings across the whole of the UK public sector.
The government has also recently announced Feryal Clark as the UK’s new Minister for AI and Digital Government – a role in which she will take on oversight of Whitehall’s core technology units. Speaking with PublicTechnology last year Feryal described Labour’s ambition to completely transform the way that public services interact with citizens.
For instance, machine learning algorithms can analyze vast datasets to detect tax evasion with unprecedented accuracy, potentially recovering billions in lost revenue. The UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) could use predictive analytics to identify patterns of non-compliance, reducing the need for costly audits while boosting public funds.
AI-powered systems could optimize energy grids, reduce emissions, and manage traffic in real time, making UK cities more sustainable and attractive to businesses. This not only improves quality of life but also positions the UK as a leader in green tech—a sector projected to be worth £2.5 trillion globally by 2030. Exporting these innovations could bolster the UK’s trade balance and enhance its soft power.
In healthcare, the National Health Service (NHS) could deploy AI to triage patients, predict outbreaks, and personalize treatments, all while reducing wait times and operational costs. A 2023 PwC report estimated that AI could save the NHS £10 billion annually by 2030 through automation and improved resource allocation.
Early NHS projects are deploying apps like “Humphrey” to streamline public services, eliminate delays through improved data sharing, and reduce costs, including consultant spending.
Featured UK-AI Innovators
The first ventures living this potential are taking shape, demonstrating the staggering scale of the opportunity: Synthesia recently raised a $180m series D funding round, NScale a £155m series A round, and the Founders Forum is joining forces with Techspace and European AI group Merantix to launch the London AI Hub.
There is a multitude of scenarios where this technology can be applied in innovative ways, that the public sector can provide the context for. For example Education is one of many, where ventures like ‘Teacherbot‘ are paving the way for disruption in the sector.
Microsoft Cloud Ai
Of course Microsoft is one of the possible vendors that can be called upon for the underlying technologies required, offering a deep suite of Cloud AI capabilities and innovation support programs for UK entrepreneurs. Furthermore Microsoft recently appointed the co-founder of the British artificial intelligence lab DeepMind as the head of a new AI division, Mustafa Suleyman, a 39 year old Brit.
Their UK Ai hub offers the solutions needed for UK businesses to adopt AI, and recently they launched their ‘GenAI Accelerator’, to develop the UK’s brightest and best AI-focused start-ups and springboard them to future success, announcing twelve companies.
Quantexa
A keynote example of a Microsoft partner building on these capabilities is Quantexa. They utilize Ai to scan billions of bank transactions to identify fraud.
The ambition of the UK Government is to foster and grow a portfolio of AI tech unicorns, with one of the exemplars being Quantexa, becoming the only venture to achieve this status in 2023 after raising $129 million in a series E funding round.
In this BBC interview CEO Vishal Marria describes how he believes the Ai capability to process vast quantities of data at this scale is unprecedented, and that the UK is uniquely positioned to be a leader in this field.
ICS
Local Government bodies are pioneering AI adoption, like the London Borough of Hillingdon, enabled by local UK entrepreneurs seizing the opportunity for Government AI solutions.
As UK Authority reports a keynote foundation for implementing this strategy has been their move to deploy an AI Customer Service Platform, via a partnership with ICS.AI who said the new ‘SMART’ Copilot is the only AI assistant designed specifically for local government, projected to deliver £5 million in savings for mid-sized local authorities, cutting purchase expenses by 50 percent and operating costs by 30 percent.
Matthew Wallbridge told UKAuthority last week that move is part of the council’s broad drive towards AI driven automation, with an ambition to take this into areas of assessment and case management. Wallbridge said there are plans to move to end-to-end automated assessments over the next six months, providing scope to change the council’s financial model and its resource base for assessing and supporting people.
Informed Solutions
Informed Solutions provides enterprise technology platforms and services that support large-scale digital transformation, leveraging AI and advanced data analytics to support government departments in modernizing public services. Their work includes building intelligent platforms that use AI to enhance decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and deliver citizen-centric services.
Informed has developed secure, scalable digital platforms that integrate AI capabilities for government clients. These platforms are designed to meet stringent security and compliance requirements, such as those mandated by UK GDPR and public sector data protection standards.
Resolve AI
Led by veteran UK tech entrepreneur Dan Wagner Rezolve AI is a publicly traded company specializing in conversational AI and generative AI solutions, primarily designed for the retail and commerce sectors.
Their proprietary Large Language Model (LLM), referred to as brainpowa, powers a suite of AI tools aimed at enhancing customer engagement, streamlining operations, and driving revenue growth. Their flagship offerings include BRAiN Commerce and BRAiN Assistant, which focus on transforming digital commerce experiences.
As he writes on Linkedin Dan astutely identifies that data is key to the Ai boom, and that the UK’s NHS is a goldmine in this regard, and should be protected from exploitation by the American giants and instead continue to serve entirely British interests.
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