The Fort Worth Press - PM vows 'pro-growth' rules to make Britain an 'AI superpower'

USD -
AED 3.673035
AFN 71.323752
ALL 89.53094
AMD 391.220403
ANG 1.790208
AOA 916.000367
ARS 1073.553904
AUD 1.656644
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.766685
BBD 2.011533
BDT 121.061023
BGN 1.79063
BHD 0.376957
BIF 2961.474188
BMD 1
BND 1.332099
BOB 6.885493
BRL 5.827404
BSD 0.996193
BTN 84.992526
BWP 13.874477
BYN 3.260694
BYR 19600
BZD 2.001147
CAD 1.421295
CDF 2873.000362
CHF 0.861245
CLF 0.025114
CLP 963.730396
CNY 7.28155
CNH 7.28834
COP 4210.53
CRC 503.907996
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 99.605696
CZK 23.03904
DJF 177.720393
DKK 6.81224
DOP 62.907224
DZD 133.59404
EGP 50.591504
ERN 15
ETB 131.300523
EUR 0.912925
FJD 2.314904
FKP 0.762682
GBP 0.774585
GEL 2.750391
GGP 0.762682
GHS 15.48644
GIP 0.762682
GMD 72.139607
GNF 8645.949925
GTQ 7.693185
GYD 209.183137
HKD 7.774975
HNL 25.577483
HRK 6.878904
HTG 130.793752
HUF 364.387873
IDR 16744.473258
ILS 3.746145
IMP 0.762682
INR 85.338154
IQD 1306.506853
IRR 42336.988543
ISK 130.567142
JEP 0.762682
JMD 157.094395
JOD 0.70904
JPY 147.21804
KES 129.238254
KGS 86.692362
KHR 3971.595158
KMF 445.147581
KPW 899.928114
KRW 1451.374019
KWD 0.307615
KYD 0.83156
KZT 501.917416
LAK 21606.921497
LBP 89544.522786
LKR 295.184792
LRD 199.781411
LSL 18.739948
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.82245
MAD 9.516652
MDL 17.902827
MGA 4631.875059
MKD 56.260592
MMK 2099.545327
MNT 3504.730669
MOP 8.010542
MRU 39.660628
MUR 45.370989
MVR 15.441096
MWK 1732.00408
MXN 20.438104
MYR 4.442621
MZN 63.8826
NAD 18.739948
NGN 1536.123004
NIO 36.754903
NOK 10.75399
NPR 136.60505
NZD 1.788861
OMR 0.384952
PAB 1
PEN 3.666345
PGK 4.106218
PHP 57.053122
PKR 279.986588
PLN 3.82525
PYG 7937.001208
QAR 3.640374
RON 4.504564
RSD 106.000243
RUB 84.082892
RWF 1417.183198
SAR 3.750373
SBD 8.499278
SCR 14.328056
SDG 600.377285
SEK 10.016855
SGD 1.334705
SHP 0.785843
SLE 22.750371
SLL 20969.501083
SOS 569.677964
SRD 36.564761
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.75037
SYP 13001.416834
SZL 18.739948
THB 34.107305
TJS 10.883523
TMT 3.497769
TND 3.055277
TOP 2.408314
TRY 37.985795
TTD 6.752072
TWD 33.07735
TZS 2654.318194
UAH 41.285264
UGX 3652.036928
UYU 42.304314
UZS 12908.018961
VES 70.043118
VND 25805.374257
VUV 123.606268
WST 2.823884
XAF 593.530108
XAG 0.033825
XAU 0.000331
XCD 2.707263
XDR 0.753961
XOF 593.530108
XPF 107.975038
YER 245.884458
ZAR 19.08851
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 27.959236
ZWL 321.999592
  • CMSC

    0.0150

    22.275

    +0.07%

  • JRI

    -0.8600

    11.96

    -7.19%

  • BCC

    -0.7100

    93.92

    -0.76%

  • CMSD

    0.1400

    22.81

    +0.61%

  • RBGPF

    1.0200

    69.02

    +1.48%

  • SCS

    -0.1900

    10.55

    -1.8%

  • RYCEF

    -1.4200

    8.38

    -16.95%

  • AZN

    -5.3450

    68.575

    -7.79%

  • GSK

    -2.7000

    36.31

    -7.44%

  • RIO

    -4.1000

    54.33

    -7.55%

  • BCE

    0.1490

    22.809

    +0.65%

  • NGG

    -3.7270

    65.663

    -5.68%

  • RELX

    -2.7800

    48.66

    -5.71%

  • BTI

    -2.1100

    39.81

    -5.3%

  • BP

    -2.9850

    28.355

    -10.53%

  • VOD

    -0.9150

    8.455

    -10.82%

PM vows 'pro-growth' rules to make Britain an 'AI superpower'
PM vows 'pro-growth' rules to make Britain an 'AI superpower' / Photo: © POOL/AFP

PM vows 'pro-growth' rules to make Britain an 'AI superpower'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday laid out his vision to harness the power of artificial intelligence to boost Britain's flagging economy, promising "pro-growth" regulations amid concerns about the technology's unchecked use.

Text size:

Speaking following the launch of a government "action plan", Starmer pledged to ease red tape to attract billions of pounds of AI investment to Britain.

The "AI Opportunities Action Plan" includes 50 recommendations that the government will implement to boost AI-driven efficiency in the public sector, from education and healthcare to detecting potholes.

"Mark my words, Britain will be one of the great AI superpowers," Starmer said at an event at the UCL campus in east London, hailing the technology which is raising complex questions for governments around the world.

The UK -- which has the third-largest AI industry after the United States and China -- will be "pro-growth and pro-innovation on regulation", Starmer said.

"I think it is important to recognise that we've got freedom now in relation to regulation, to do it in the way that we think is best for the UK," said Starmer, calling for AI to be "tested" before it is "regulated".

"We don't need to walk down a US or an EU path on AI regulation", the prime minister wrote in the Financial Times ahead of the speech, calling for a "distinctively British approach".

Starmer's position marks a shift from the EU's heavy-handed regulation of the sector, especially regarding data protection laws, which has faced criticism from tech giants.

In the US, incoming President Donald Trump's desire to deregulate the economy and his team of Silicon Valley-linked advisors could influence policies on AI regulation.

- Data library -

The UK's latest plans include the creation of a national data library which would make public data sets, including anonymised National Health Service records, "available to AI researchers and innovators".

The data library would be bolstered by a "clear and trusted copyright regime", Starmer added. "It is important that we keep control of that data."

"But I don't think that we should have a defensive stance here that will inhibit the sort of breakthroughs that we need."

The latest plans come amid concerns surrounding AI's role in spreading online misinformation and deepfake pornography, as well as fears robots could one day outsmart humans if left unchecked.

The government outlined plans for the creation of "dedicated AI growth zones" designed to speed up planning proposals for data centres and other AI infrastructure.

It also hopes to increase server capacity twentyfold by 2030, including by building "a brand new supercomputer with enough AI power to play itself at chess half a million times a second".

The new supercomputer pledge comes months after Starmer axed a previous supercomputer project in Edinburgh planned by the previous government, citing a lack of funds.

- 'Economic mismanagement' -

Starmer's administration estimated that AI could be worth £47 billion ($57 billion) to the UK each year over a decade.

It announced that three tech companies -- Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl -- had committed to spending £14 billion on AI in the UK, leading to the creation of more than 13,000 jobs.

Starmer has put firing up Britain's economy at the heart of his agenda since taking office last July. In his speech, Starmer staked economic growth on advancements in AI, saying the technology "would turbocharge every single element of our plan for change".

But weaker-than-expected growth, rising borrowing costs and a falling pound is complicating his task, meaning he could be forced to make spending cuts or hike taxes this year.

Shadow Science Secretary Alan Mak accused Labour of insufficiently funding its AI ambitions.

"AI does have the potential to transform public services, but Labour's economic mismanagement and uninspiring plan will mean Britain is left behind," Mak said.

There are also concerns that the sector-wide implementation of AI could result in job losses.

"It's a disruptive technology, like many other previous technological waves," senior cabinet minister Pat McFadden told Times Radio.

"But I think it's too pessimistic to simply talk about job losses," he added.

The government is expected to wrap up next month a consultation to clarify the application of copyright law to AI, which it says aims to protect the creative industry.

W.Lane--TFWP