The Labour government’s 50-step plan for artificial intelligence aims to turn the UK into a leader in this field. A big part of this involves investing heavily in supercomputers. Initiatives like Bristol’s Isambard-AI and Cambridge’s Dawn supercomputer have kicked off this effort. The government plans to ramp up high-performance computing capacity by 20 times by 2030.
Now, regarding AI procurement, there’s some interesting insight from Tussell’s tracker. While the numbers show promise, they’re inflated due to one massive contract. Between 2018 and 2024, £2.4 billion worth of AI contracts went to the UK public sector, but nearly half of that comes from a single £1 billion deal with the Met Office and Microsoft. Overall, this £2.4bn only makes up about 2.5% of the total IT contracts awarded in the public sector during that period. It seems excitement around AI hasn’t led to substantial changes in public procurement practices.
When it comes to data, there’s a real challenge. Jacob Beswick, director of AI governance at Dataiku, highlights confusion around data ownership and sharing across the public sector. From his experience in government roles, he notes it’s hard to pinpoint who’s actually using AI in the public sector. Issues around data availability, access, and ownership persist, alongside power dynamics between departments. This creates silos, which block effective AI model creation and the development of a digital, data-driven service.
Turning to talent, Amanda Brock, CEO of Open UK, expresses concern that the focus on AI and infrastructure won’t address deeper issues like skills, funding, and education. She questions whether the government has the capabilities to pull this off. Ivana Bartoletti, founder of Women Leading in AI, adds that AI training should extend beyond technical skills. It’s vital to equip leaders to understand how AI can tackle their challenges and boost productivity. There’s a need for businesses to adopt a mindset that embraces AI as a partner rather than fearing it.
The government wants to create AI growth zones to focus on regional opportunities and align with its digital and tech strategy. However, Shweta Singh from the University of Warwick points out that most AI developments are still concentrated in London and the southeast. This leaves other areas out of the loop. Moreover, the UK’s reliance on foreign firms for AI, like DeepMind, raises concerns about local innovation and protecting intellectual property.
Despite the optimism from industry experts, the biggest hurdle for the government is funding. Jacob Beswick emphasizes that without centralized funding, money for AI initiatives must come from individual departmental budgets, which is a tough ask for ministers managing tight financial constraints.