11 Mar 2021

DCMS announces UK AI Strategy to be published

Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has set out Government’s 10 tech priorities for 2021. Amongst the top 10 priorities is a commitment to ‘unleashing the transformational power of tech and AI’ including the publication of a National AI Strategy later this year.

The Secretary of State has set out Government’s 10 tech priorities for 2021. During the announcement, Oliver Dowden explained that “tech has to be at the heart of our economy” “if we want to build back better, stronger and greener from the pandemic”.  Adding that the tech sector as “one single industry has the power to turbo charge the rest”.

Here are the top 10 tech priorities that were announced: 

  1. Rolling out world-class digital infrastructure nationwide. 
  2. Unlocking the power of data
  3. Building a tech-savvy nation
  4. Keeping the UK safe and secure online
  5. Fueling a new era of startups and scaleups
  6. Championing free and fair digital trade
  7. Leading the UK global conversation on tech
  8. Leveling up digital prosperity across the UK
  9. Using digital innovation to reach Net Zero

And finally.. number 10 ‘unleashing the transformational power of tech and AI’ including the publication of a National AI Strategy later this year.

The new AI strategy will focus on:

  • Growth of the economy through widespread use of AI technologies
  • Ethical, safe and trustworthy development of responsible AI
  • Resilience in the face of change through an emphasis on skills, talent and R&D

It will consider recommendations from the AI Council, an independent expert committee that advises the government, which published its AI Roadmap in January, alongside input from industry, academia and civil society.

Following the confirmation of an imminent UK National AI strategy, Jacqueline de Rojas, President of techUK commented:

The UK is already a global leader in AI but to remain globally competitive we must keep pace. techUK welcomes the new National AI Strategy, which will enable us to leverage joined-up thinking and investment from across industry and government. Setting a clear vision for the UK to remain at the forefront of the development and use of innovative, responsible and ethical AI could not have come at a better time.

techUK looks forward to working closely with the Office for AI over the next few months to help develop an ambitious National AI Strategy that supports industry. If you’d like to find out more about the work techUK is doing in this area, please contact Katherine Holden.

Katherine Holden

Katherine Holden

Associate Director, Data Analytics, AI and Digital ID, techUK

Katherine joined techUK in May 2018 and currently leads the Data Analytics, AI and Digital ID programme. 

Prior to techUK, Katherine worked as a Policy Advisor at the Government Digital Service (GDS) supporting the digital transformation of UK Government.

Whilst working at the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) Katherine led AMRC’s policy work on patient data, consent and opt-out.    

Katherine has a BSc degree in Biology from the University of Nottingham.

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
020 7331 2019

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