LONDON, Jan 13:  Artificial intelligence offers "vast potential" to improve UK public services, according to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In a speech on Monday, he outlined the government's plans to harness AI to drive growth and enhance efficiency in public service delivery, emphasizing the importance of making AI work for working people.

The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, supported by leading tech companies, has attracted £14 billion in investment, which is expected to create 13,250 jobs. The plan includes the creation of AI-focused growth zones and the application of AI to solve practical issues such as pothole identification.

Starmer announced that AI adviser Matt Clifford had been tasked with devising a UK action plan to foster AI growth and its use in public services. Clifford’s report includes 50 recommendations, which are now being implemented. A significant recommendation involves investing in a new supercomputer to enhance the UK's computing capabilities, marking a shift from the Labour government’s previous stance on supercomputing at Edinburgh University.

Sir Keir emphasized that AI "will drive incredible change" in the UK, with the potential to transform the lives of working people. "We're going to make AI work for everyone in our country," he declared, stressing that "the battle for the jobs of tomorrow is happening today." He also stated that the UK aims to become one of the world's AI "superpowers," mirroring former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s efforts to position the UK as a global leader in AI, competing with the US and China.

While Sunak’s proposals primarily focused on mitigating AI risks, such as its potential use in producing chemical weapons or spreading disinformation, the new government plan places greater emphasis on seizing opportunities for growth and innovation.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall praised the ambitious nature of the plan but cautioned that it would require significant upfront investment. “It will take some time to see a return on that investment, and they’ve got to be in it for the long term,” she said in an interview with BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

Key Proposals in the AI Plan:

AI Growth Zones will be established across the UK, creating new jobs and development opportunities.

AI-powered cameras will be deployed to detect and address potholes.

Teachers and small business owners will benefit from AI tools that assist with tasks such as planning and record-keeping.

AI is already being used in UK hospitals to assist in diagnosing conditions like cancer more quickly, and will continue to support the NHS.

The plan also includes proposals to boost UK infrastructure, with £14 billion in investments from tech firms into data centers and tech hubs.

However, opposition figures, such as shadow science secretary Alan Mak, criticized the government's approach. He argued that Labour was "delivering analogue government in a digital age" and warned that its economic policies would hinder the potential benefits of AI, leaving the UK behind.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, speaking to the BBC, expressed optimism that the UK could create tech companies on par with global giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple. He pointed to DeepMind, a British-born company now owned by Google, as an example of the UK’s lost opportunities in tech innovation.

Tim Flagg, chief operating officer of UKAI, a trade body representing British AI businesses, expressed concerns that the government’s plan focuses too heavily on large tech companies, overlooking the contributions of smaller businesses and non-tech industries that are also driving AI innovation.

There are also ongoing concerns about the risks posed by AI, including its potential to "hallucinate" or make inaccurate predictions, and to perpetuate biases. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden acknowledged that AI is still a developing technology, noting that a government-developed AI teaching assistant is already helping 30,000 teachers in England by saving them significant time in lesson and classroom preparation.

While recognizing AI’s transformative potential, McFadden also cautioned that it is "not perfect." He pointed to recent controversies, such as inaccurate news alerts generated by Apple’s latest iPhones, as a reminder of the need to balance safety with opportunity. "We’ve got to have an eye on safety as well as opportunity," McFadden said, adding that the UK cannot afford to opt out of AI development or risk falling behind in global technological progress.