Secretary of State Delivers Major AI and Sovereignty Speech at RUSI
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall MP, spoke at RUSI, giving a landmark address on the future of artificial intelligence, tech sovereignty and Britain’s place in the world.
Failure to invest in UK AI would be a “betrayal of British talent and British interests”, says Rt. Hon. Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Secretary of State told the audience that AI and technological capacity was of crucial importance to the UK’s national defence and security, and that there must be a 'decisive shift' towards UK investment and enhanced sovereignty in these sectors.
'The countries which harness AI will not only lead the race to cure diseases, discover new materials and create trillion-dollar companies … but also build far more powerful militaries. Put simply, AI is now the engine of economic power and hard power. And the future is coming at us fast… not in the next few decades but the next few years,' she said.
The Secretary of State added that failing to take advantage of AI to advance the national interest would be a 'betrayal of British talent and British interests'.
She said: 'If we retreat from progress we retreat from the world, leaving this powerful technology to be exploited by other nations to their advantage and our disadvantage. The choice isn’t between a world that has AI and one that does not. It is a choice between a world where we shape our AI future, based our own interests and values, or where we are left at its mercy and whim.'
While a 'deep, close and enduring relationship with the US' should remain, the Secretary of State said working more closely on AI and technology with our international partners, particularly other so-called middle power nations, would help enhance UK national security and resilience.
Secretary of State's speech is available to read in full here.
RUSI Members can watch a recording of the speech below.
