Tech Secretary Hosts Roundtable of AI Innovators

Chloe Smith, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, has invited senior (AI) leaders to Downing Street for a roundtable on the opportunities and risks facing the UK’s rapidly evolving AI industry.

The Secretary of State first thanked attendees for their work in this area and for their support in the development of the recently released AI regulatory white paper, encouraging the UK to tackle AI risks while fostering innovation and growth. We asked attendees for their input on how they could lead.

Discussions centered around three main themes.

Risks and opportunities posed by AI technology and the guardrails needed to ensure safe and responsible AI
Aspects of AI where the UK should play a bigger role, including global leadership in AI governance and regulation
Non-regulatory measures to help UK AI companies grow and innovate

Points of discussion include increasing access to open datasets, growing regional centers of excellence to connect SMEs and researchers, and helping SMEs scale with greater access to capital and resources. was included. The group also discussed the need to regulate and protect innovation in a proportional manner, keeping in mind future challenges in rapidly evolving technology.

The Secretary of State said the room for action was narrow, but the UK needed to strike a careful balance between setting regulations that effectively manage AI risks and fostering innovation and growth. The Secretary of State also made it clear that the UK would like to take a leading role in regulating AI globally and work closely with the sector in doing so.

Attendees: