Speech

PM speech on AI Opportunities Action Plan: 13 January 2025

Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a speech this morning on the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

皇冠体育app Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP

皇冠体育app defining opportunity of our generation

Deb Kelly is a prison officer and a PE instructor.聽

Two years ago, this month鈥�

She got up on a Saturday morning鈥�

And collapsed on the floor.

Her whole face had completely drooped.聽

Her left side had gone completely weak.聽

She was having a stroke.

She was found by her son, rushed to hospital鈥�

Where the doctors used Artificial Intelligence鈥β�

To help pinpoint the exact location of the blood clot.

皇冠体育appy successfully removed it.

Now, as you know, with strokes it is always a race against the clock.聽

Too slow 鈥� and the patient may die.聽

And every second of delay increases the risk of paralysis.聽

But in Deb鈥檚 case鈥�

With AI鈥β�

皇冠体育app whole procedure took聽less than three minutes.聽

It saved her life.聽

I spoke to her this morning.

And she鈥檚 always been really clear about this.

She said if that blood clot hadn鈥檛 been removed, she wouldn鈥檛 be here right now 鈥� I wouldn鈥檛 have spoken to her this morning.聽

That鈥檚 the power of AI in action.聽

And I鈥檝e seen a version of this in Coventry in the hospital there.

皇冠体育appy showed me how this works with strokes 鈥� finding the clot.

皇冠体育appy have got a big screen with the brain pulsating.

And it鈥檚 really complicated.

You鈥檝e got to get the right point straightaway as quickly as you can.

It鈥檚 revolutionary in terms of stroke care.

And what that shows to me 鈥� Deb鈥檚 story, what I saw for myself 鈥� is that AI isn鈥檛 something sort of, of the future, over the next hill.聽

It鈥檚 the present.

It鈥檚 already here.

In Britain.聽

Changing lives.聽

A chance - to turbocharge growth鈥β�

Create the companies of the future鈥β�

And radically improve our public services.聽

I mean 鈥� we鈥檝e known for a long time that it鈥檚 pretty impressive.聽聽

Never mind Luke Littler becoming world champion at 17鈥β�

We鈥檝e seen computers learn Go from scratch鈥�

鈥nd be the best in the world in just three days!聽

Although to be fair to Luke 鈥� I鈥檝e not seen a computer throw a 180 yet!聽

But look, for all those people 鈥� and there are lots of people 鈥� who say鈥�

Well that鈥檚 all very well.

What is Go?

How does that help me?聽

What does it mean for my life?聽

That story of Deb shows the point.聽

叠别肠补耻蝉别鈥�

AI聽isn鈥檛聽something locked away behind the walls of blue-chip companies鈥�

It鈥檚 a force for change that will transform the lives of working people for the better.聽

If you鈥檙e sitting around the kitchen table tonight鈥�

鈥orried about opportunity at your children鈥檚 school鈥β�

AI can help teachers plan lessons鈥�

鈥ailored to your children鈥檚 specific needs.

If you鈥檙e worried about waiting times鈥�

And aren鈥檛 we all鈥�

AI can save hundreds of thousands of hours lost to missed appointments鈥�

Because it can identify those on the list most likely not to turn up鈥�

And help get them the support that they need鈥�

Maybe change for a more convenient appointment.

It can spot potholes quicker鈥�

Speed up planning applications鈥�

Reduce job centre form-filling鈥�

Help in the fight against tax avoidance鈥β�

And almost halve the time social workers spend on paperwork.

Incredible.

And yes, there will be teething problems 鈥� of course there will.

But we can鈥檛 lose sight of the聽vast聽potential here.聽

I mean 鈥� look at DeepMind鈥β�

Which we are all familiar with.

That has already transformed our entire understanding of biology.聽

皇冠体育app idea of personalised medicine, tailored to your DNA鈥�

皇冠体育app hope of treating diseases that we once feared incurable鈥β�

皇冠体育app ability to predict and prevent illness long before it strikes.聽

Think of the lives that will save鈥�

Think about the impact on your life鈥β�

Think about all the doctors and nurses鈥β�

Who will have more time for the personal touch, the connection, the service鈥�

That people really value.聽

And in a way that鈥檚 the irony of AI鈥β�

It will make public services more human鈥�

Reconnect staff with the reasons they came to public service in the first place鈥β�

A force that will turbocharge every single element鈥β�

Of our Plan for Change鈥β�

皇冠体育app defining opportunity of our generation.

Now, I do understand that change on this scale and at this speed can be worrying鈥�

Particularly when experts warn about safety risks.聽

And that鈥檚 why the last government was right to establish the world鈥檚 leading AI Safety Institute鈥�

And we will build on that.聽

Indeed, later this month, the UK will lead the first ever聽global聽AI safety test鈥β犅�

Working alongside our international partners.

So be in absolutely no doubt鈥�

We will make sure this technology is safe.

But I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 the limit of what the state should do鈥�

That鈥檚 where I聽disagree聽with the last government.

We shouldn鈥檛 just focus on safety and leave the rest to the market鈥β�

Government has a responsibility to make it work for working people鈥�

And the opportunities of this technology 鈥� they are聽not聽just going to somehow fall into our lap鈥�

This is the global race of our lives.

Now, some countries are going to make AI breakthroughs and聽export聽them鈥�

Others will end up buying those breakthroughs and importing them.

皇冠体育app question is 鈥� which of those will Britain be?

AI maker or AI taker?

And right now 鈥� you will know this 鈥� the investors, the entrepreneurs, the researchers who will make those breakthroughs鈥�

皇冠体育appy鈥檙e looking around the world鈥β�

皇冠体育appy are choosing where to make their home鈥�

Trillions聽of pounds worth of investment at stake鈥�

A battle for the jobs of tomorrow 鈥� is happening today.聽

And we want data centres employing hundreds of people in the North-East鈥�

Technology hubs using the talents of researchers in the North-West鈥�

World-leading robotics in the South-West.聽

But we have to be on the pitch.聽

And that鈥檚 not just a question of economic policy.

It鈥檚 a question of values too.

Whose values are going to shape this technology as it develops?

皇冠体育app open values that this country holds dear鈥�

鈥r other countries?聽

Who gets the benefits?聽

Just those at the top 鈥� or working people everywhere?

And I don鈥檛 think that a government should be neutral on these questions鈥β�

And this government won鈥檛 be.

Britain is going to shape the future.

We are going to make the breakthroughs鈥�

We are going to create the wealth鈥β�

And we are going to make AI work for everyone in our country鈥�

This is the nation of Babbage, Lovelace and Turing鈥�

That gave birth to the modern computer and the World Wide Web 鈥β�

So mark my words 鈥� Britain will be one of the great AI superpowers.

Now, that鈥檚 not boosterism or wishful thinking鈥β�

This can be done, and it will be done.聽

皇冠体育appre鈥檚 a reason why OpenAI, Anthropic and Scale鈥�

鈥hose London as their international office.聽

And there鈥檚 a reason Mistral AI鈥�

鈥ne of the champions of open source鈥�

鈥ave just announced a UK office too.

We鈥檝e got Wayve 鈥� building the tech to power a new generation of self-driving vehicles鈥�

Synthesia 鈥� leading the world in AI-powered video鈥�

Blackstone 鈥� building Europe鈥檚 largest data centre in Northumberland.聽

We鈥檙e Number one in Europe for AI investment.

We鈥檝e already attracted more than 拢25 billion鈥β�

And that鈥檚 just in the time that this government has been in office.

That鈥檚 what you get with a Government that can be a trusted partner鈥β�

With a clear strategy.聽

It鈥檚 what you get with a reforming Government鈥β�

鈥ctually capable of driving through the supply-side agenda this needs.聽

Because as you know鈥�

As this race speeds up鈥�

We鈥檝e got to run further and faster.

So within days of taking office鈥�

I asked Matt Clifford to review how we seize the opportunities of AI.

And I want to thank Matt, and Peter Kyle and his team for all their work.聽

Because today, we are not just publishing that review鈥�

We are making a clear commitment to take forward all the recommendations.聽

And we will put the full weight of the British state behind this鈥�

I am determined the UK becomes the best place to start and scale an AI business鈥β�

That will be the centrepiece of our Industrial Strategy.

皇冠体育appre has never been a better moment鈥�

鈥or entrepreneurs with big ideas鈥�

鈥o grow a small company fast.聽

So we are going to create AI growth zones鈥�

Breathing new life into sites like Culham, in Oxfordshire.聽

And we are going to remove the blockages that hold you back鈥�

This is a Government that backs the builders.聽

So if you are looking at where to build your data centres鈥�

We will speed up planning permission.

If you need better access to power 鈥� and we all know how big a challenge that is鈥�

We鈥檒l get you those grid connections at speed.聽

You have asked for a gold standard data access regime鈥β�

So we will develop a National Data Library鈥�

A clear and trusted copyright regime鈥�

And, safe access to the unique resource of our NHS for research.

And, then of course, the engine of AI progress鈥�

鈥s what鈥檚 called compute.聽

We鈥檒l increase our public sector compute鈥�

Not by a factor of two or three or even ten鈥�.

But by twenty.

Now, that鈥檚 like upgrading from my Dad鈥檚 old Ford Cortina鈥β�

鈥o a Formula One McLaren in one go!

What about the talent?聽

Well - we鈥檝e got the high potential visa routes鈥�

For the world鈥檚 top talent to聽move聽here鈥�

And we鈥檙e going to make it easier for tomorrow鈥檚 talent to聽learn聽here鈥�

Training tens of thousands of STEM graduates and apprentices.

But perhaps most importantly of all 鈥� and let鈥檚 be crystal clear about this鈥�

When it comes to regulation 鈥� we will be pro-growth and pro-innovation.聽

And on regulation 鈥� look, I know there are different approaches around the world.聽

But we are now in control of our regulatory regime鈥�

So we will go our own way on this.聽

We will test and understand AI before we regulate it鈥�

鈥o make sure that when we do it, it is proportionate and grounded in the science.聽

But at the same time, we鈥檒l offer the political stability that business needs.

And, of course, our British values鈥β�

Centuries鈥� long heritage 鈥� rooted in democracy and the rule of law.

Put simply, our message to those at the frontier of AI capabilities is this:

We want to be the best state partner for you anywhere in the world鈥�

That鈥檚 the measure of our ambition.聽

And to help us achieve that鈥β�

We鈥檙e not just accepting Matt鈥檚 recommendations鈥�

We鈥檙e bringing him into my team in Number Ten 鈥� so he can help develop them.聽

And as well as Matt, I鈥檓 delighted鈥�

聽That the inspiring, Nobel Prize-winner, Sir Demis Hassabis鈥�

鈥� is providing his expertise to the government as well.

But remember 鈥� go back to that 鈥� those聽two聽challenges here

Our ambition is not聽just聽to be an AI superpower鈥�

But also make sure that this benefits working people.聽

Now that of course starts with jobs and investment in every part of the country.

And so I鈥檓 really pleased, right here today鈥�

鈥o announce that Kyndryl are investing in a new technology hub in Liverpool鈥�

Now that alone will create a thousand new jobs.

And also that Nscale are investing 拢2bn鈥�

鈥nd Vantage Data Centers another 拢12bn鈥�

making 拢14 billion of new investment in data centres across the UK

鈥reating another 12,000 jobs.

But look, our Plan for Change also sets down a gauntlet for public services.聽

And the blunt truth is 鈥� we鈥檝e got to be much bolder.聽聽

I鈥檝e seen this for myself 鈥� as a leader of a public service鈥β�

And this is entirely human鈥β�

But new technology can provoke a reaction鈥�

A sort of fear, an inhibition, a caution if you like.聽

And because of fears of a small risk鈥�

Too often you miss the massive opportunity.聽

So we have got to change that mindset.

Because actually the far bigger risk鈥β�

Is that if we don鈥檛 go for it鈥�

鈥e鈥檙e left behind by those who do.

And that鈥檚 what I mean about totally rewiring government.

Being emboldened to take risks 鈥� as our brilliant entrepreneurs do鈥β�

Restless and relentless.聽聽

Because the prize within our grasp鈥�

鈥s the path to national renewal.

AI is the way鈥�

To secure growth鈥�

To raise living standards鈥β�

Put money in people鈥檚 pockets鈥�

Create exciting new companies鈥�

And transform our public services.

聽We are all proud of our history 鈥� the first industrial nation鈥�

皇冠体育app cradle of engineering innovation.聽聽

And I want people to look back on this generation鈥β�

And be proud of what we started today.聽聽

That we grasped the nettle of AI鈥�

That we ran with it鈥β�

And made it work for working people.

That鈥檚 who we are as a nation.

It鈥檚 who you are 鈥� as the pioneers of today鈥�

And it鈥檚 the ambition that drives this Government forward.聽

AI has arrived鈥β犅�

Our defining opportunity is here鈥β�

And together 鈥� we will harness it鈥�

For the good of our country.聽

Thank you very much.

Updates to this page

Published 13 January 2025