New Strategy to deliver economic growth and prosperity
Wide-ranging measures have been unveiled to place Scotland at the forefront of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
Scotland’s AI Strategy sets out a five-year plan to ensure people, businesses and public services across the country benefit from AI.
Independent analysis estimates the AI sector could be worth £23 billion to the Scottish economy by 2035 and the Strategy details increased support for businesses to expand the use of AI to develop new products and services, grow market share and generate new jobs and investment.
Initiatives to be implemented in the first year include:
establishing an independent expert advisory board to provide strategic guidance on the strategy’s delivery
appointing AI Champions to represent priority sectors and regions
rolling out an expanded AI adoption programme for businesses to help drive productivity and competitiveness across the economy
creating a Future Jobs Panel to assess AI’s impact on the workforce and establishing an AI Leadership Academy
Launching the Strategy at the Edinburgh Futures Institute in Edinburgh, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “The unprecedented pace at which AI is increasing and evolving presents an enormous opportunity.
“It has the potential to be genuinely transformative – for every sector of our economy, and for people from all backgrounds and communities.
“This strategy sets out a clear plan to harness the economic and social benefits of AI responsibly with practical, tangible steps to be taken this year to help ensure we translate our innovation and expertise into more businesses, jobs and investment.
“In establishing AI Scotland we will use the expertise of our enterprise agencies, The Data Lab and other partners to lead an accelerated, co-ordinated approach to ensure Scotland’s economy and society reaps the rewards of this incredible technology.”
Whilst many businesses invest in state-of-the-art computers and up-to-the-minute software to keep them safe online, the digital experts at West Lothian’s Workflo Solutions are warning the most exploited vulnerability for many businesses is actually human error. And so to mark CyberScotland Week, which runs from Monday 23rd until Saturday 28th February, they are urging everyone to tighten up their protection.
Cyber-attacks that target small to medium-sized businesses have increased sharply in recent years, propelled by advances in AI technology.
From phishing scams and ransomware to credential theft and web-based intrusions, hackers are harnessing the power of AI to increase the speed, scale and sophistication of these devastating online attacks, stealing sensitive data for financial gain with greater ease than ever before.
And according to Workflo Solutions, many employees are simply not keeping pace with these fast-moving developments. As a result, they are putting businesses at significant risk.
It is estimated that more than 95% of data breaches in the UK are caused by human error. Significant incidents – categorised as those costing at least £500 – average nearly £195,000 per business, amounting to a staggering £14.7billion worth of damages per year to the UK economy.
The most common human errors include falling for phishing scams, using weak or compromised credentials, misconfiguring security settings, and falling victim to social engineering.
Commenting ahead of CyberScotland Week, Workflo Solutions’ managing director Michael Field urges businesses to stay vigilant; “CyberScotland Week is an opportune time to remind businesses of the need to create a strong security posture through their staff:
Create a culture where cyber security feels simple, relevant and part of everyday work.
Keep training short, frequent and practical by using real examples of phishing, social engineering and reconnaissance that staff might encounter.
Reinforce good habits through reminders, clear policies and easy routes to report suspicious activity.
Lead by example and reward secure behaviour so employees feel responsible and motivated to protect the organisation.
“As AI becomes more integrated into everyday systems and business processes, the overall attack surface continues to grow, creating new entry points for exploitation within interconnected digital environments.
“It is therefore vital that we come together during CyberScotland Week to raise awareness, boost resilience and reduce the risk of human error.”
To give businesses an extra helping hand during CyberScotland Week, Workflo Solutions is offering 200 businesses a free dark web domain audit.
By heading to www.workflo-solutions.co.uk and signing up for this free service, businesses will be notified if any of their company email addresses or passwords have been breached, enabling them to take proactive steps to reverse these vulnerabilities and avert a potential damaging attack.
Scotland will host a new AI Growth Zone in Lanarkshire, supporting more than 3,400 jobs and helping drive economic growth as part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy
Scotland to host new AI Growth Zone – a key pillar of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy – creating 3,400 highvalue jobs and boosting wages across the region over the coming years
Strong links with universities and businesses to open new collaborations, as the delivery of dozens of apprenticeships to support the next generation of Scottish AI talent.
£8.2 billion in private investment committed with an additional £540 million to support the local community, help tackle the cost of living, and boost jobs
Demonstrates rapid progress on AI, with over 75% of the AI Opportunities Action Plan already delivered, laying the groundwork for growth and transformed public services.
PEOPLE in Lanarkshire will have access to the skills and opportunities they need to chase the jobs of the future, as AI is put to work to transform communities and livelihoods.
Delivered by home-grown data centre company DataVita around their data centre site in Airdrie – and in partnership with AI cloud firm CoreWeave – the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone announced by the Technology Secretary today (29 January) will bring more than 3,400 jobs over the course of the coming years (note), including delivering 50 apprenticeships to nurture the next generation of Scottish AI expertise.
Of these jobs, around 800 are expected to focus on the high-paying AI jobs of the future, including everything from AI researchers and coders through to permanent staff who will run and maintain data centres. The rest will be made up of immediate construction jobs, as attention turns to building out the entire site, including data centres, supportive infrastructure, and a renewables park.
Alongside £8.2 billion in private investment that will drive economic renewal in the local area, a new community fund will inject up to £543 million into support for a range of local programmes over the next 15 years (note). The money will come as a direct result of the work carried out at the site, being raised as data centre capacity comes online.
From skills and training packages which will give people the tools they need for jobs in and working with AI, through to after-school coding clubs, and support for local charities and foodbanks – this is how the government is ensuring AI is delivering frontline support and opportunity for communities and playing an active role to bring down the cost of living.
AI Growth Zones are just one of the many commitments the government has delivered one year on from the publication of the AI Opportunities Action Plan. In total the government has met 38 of its 50 commitments (note) with the public able to track progress in detail at a newly published interactive dashboard.
In the past 12 months, the government has laid the foundations for long-term success, increased its AI computing power tenfold and launched a major skills drive which has already seen over one million free AI courses delivered.
It is already delivering practical benefits – a third of chest x-rays in the NHS are AI-enabled, while AI is also helping the government function more efficiently by reducing the time taken to identify fraud by 80%.
Meanwhile, Extract, the government-backed tool to digitise planning, is expected to be made available to all councils by Spring 2026, with a target to digitise all planning documents by the end of 2026.
AI tutoring tools to narrow the attainment gap will also be co-developed this Summer and begin trials at the start of the next academic year.
The UK AI sector is already the largest in Europe, raising £6 billion in 2025, which is an 80% increase from 2024.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Getting on in life should not mean travelling miles from your community for work while struggling to pay the bills at home.
“By bringing billions of pounds of investment into Lanarkshire, we are creating good, wellpaid jobs and funding support that directly helps families with the cost of living.
“With strong progress made on our AI Opportunities Action Plan over the past year, now is the time to put our foot on the accelerator and ensure working people feel the benefits in every corner of the UK.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: ”Today’s announcement is about creating good jobs, backing innovation and making sure the benefits AI will bring can be felt across the community – that’s how the UK government is delivering real change for the people of Scotland.
“From thousands of new jobs and billions in investment through to support for local people and their families, AI Growth Zones are bringing generation-defining opportunity to all corners of the country.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Seizing the opportunities of AI is vital for getting jobs and growth in every part of the country.
“Our AI growth zones are doing just that – creating new opportunities for local communities and unlocking investment so businesses can grow and scale up, building an economy that works for working people.”
Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “North Lanarkshire’s proud industrial heritage helped power Britain through the last century – from coal and steel to manufacturing. Today, we’re writing the next chapter, as this community becomes home to an advanced AI site. The area will once again be at the very heart of Scotland’s and Britain’s industrial story.
“This is the UK government’s economic growth in action. Scotland’s AI Growth Zone, backed by £5 million of UK government investment will create more than 3,400 jobs and attract billions in investment. With 5 AI Growth Zones now across the UK, we are cementing our position as Europe’s leading tech sector.
“The UK government’s AI Growth Zone will bring new industries, good jobs and fresh opportunities to North Lanarkshire, but also boost the economy of the whole of central Scotland.”
Danny Quinn, Managing Director of DataVita, said: “Scotland has everything AI needs, the talent, the green energy, and now the infrastructure. But this goes beyond the physical buildings.
“We’re creating innovation parks, new energy infrastructure, and attracting inward investment from some of the world’s leading technology companies. This is a massive opportunity for North Lanarkshire & Scotland, and we want to make sure local people share in it.
£The £543 million community fund means the benefits stay here, good jobs, new skills, and investment that actually reaches the people who live and work in this area.”
Ben Richardson, Managing Director of CoreWeave International, said: “The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone marks a meaningful step in moving the UK from AI ambition into AI in production.
“We’re proud to make this £1.5 billion investment with DataVita, delivering a production-grade AI cloud designed to run, scale, and evolve as AI becomes embedded across the economy.
“That long-term approach is what supports economic growth and strengthens the UK’s position in AI.”
Bolstering the benefits for local communities even further, DataVita’s parent company HFD Group will also contribute a separate £1 million per year towards local charities and community groups.
When completed, Lanarkshire will be one of the most advanced AI sites anywhere in the world, with DataVita planning to include the generation of more than 500MW of on-site power to drive AI breakthroughs in the next 4 years.
It will also explore cutting-edge solutions to one of the most pressing challenges facing AI – energy consumption. The energy powering this new Growth Zone will be drawn from on-site renewables, while excess heat – produced by cooling systems as they keep cutting-edge computers and tech in top working order – will also be put to good use. Once the site is fully up and running, plans will be explored to see this excess heat re-directed to power the nearby University Hospital Monklands – Scotland’s first fully digital and Net Zero hospital.
Being in striking distance of land ripe for development for solar and wind power source will help to ensure the UK can realise its AI ambitions without compromising on its clean energy superpower mission.
This is a pioneering new approach to AI development – harnessing renewable energy to power advances in the technology while ensuring those benefits always filter down to benefit local communities.
CoreWeave will be one of the key backers of the site, rolling out cutting edge NVIDIA GPU chips so researchers and innovators can power their work. This deployment will be part of the £2.5 billion investment the company has made to AI projects in the UK.
It joins a stable of 5 AI Growth Zones announced in the 12 months since the launch of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, joining Oxfordshire, North and South Wales, and the North East of England as jewels in the UK’s AI Crown.
All told, AI Growth Zone announcements over the last 12 months have been bolstered by commitments to add up to 15,000 jobs for local communities, and at least £28.2 billion in private investment.
With permission Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on AI, social media and online safety.
No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology.
Yet in recent days, the Grok AI tool on the social media platform X has been used to create and share degrading, non-consensual intimate deepfakes.
The content which has circulated on X is vile. It is not just an affront to decent society – it is illegal.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reports “criminal imagery” of children as young as 11, including girls sexualised and topless.
This is Child Sexual Abuse.
We’ve seen reports of photos being shared of women in bikinis, tied up and gagged, with bruises, covered in blood. And much, much more.
Lives can and have been devastated by this content, which is designed to harass, torment, and violate people’s dignity.
They are not harmless images – they are weapons of abuse, disproportionately aimed at women and girls.
And they are illegal.
Last week, X limited the image creation function to paid subscribers.
This does not go anywhere near far enough.
It is insulting to victims to say you can still have this service if you are willing to pay.
And it is monetising abuse.
So let me be crystal clear: sharing, or threatening to share, a deepfake intimate image without consent – including images of people in their underwear – is a criminal offence.
Under the Online Safety Act, sharing images – or threatening to share them – is a criminal offence. For individuals, and for platforms.
My predecessor – the Right Honourable Member for Hove and Portslade – made this a ‘priority offence’, so services have to take proactive action to stop this content from appearing in the first place.
The Data Act, passed last year, made it a criminal offence to create – or request the creation of – non-consensual intimate images.
And today, I can announce to the House that this offence will be brought into force this week and that I will make it a priority offence in the Online Safety Act too.
This means individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create – or seek to create – such content – including on X – and anyone who does this should expect to face the full extent of the law.
But the responsibilities do not just lie with individuals for their own behaviour.
The platforms that host such material must be held accountable – including X.
Madam Deputy Speaker, Ofcom this morning confirmed that they have opened a formal investigation into X and will assess their compliance with the Online Safety Act.
The government expects Ofcom to set out a timeline for the investigation as soon as possible.
The public – and most importantly, the victims of Grok’s activities – expect swift and decisive action. So this must not take months and months.
But X doesn’t have to wait for the Ofcom investigation to conclude. They can choose to act sooner to ensure this abhorrent and illegal material cannot be shared on their platform.
If they do not, Ofcom will have the backing of this government to use the full powers which Parliament has given them.
And I would remind X – and all other platforms – that this includes the power to issue fines worth millions of dollars, or 10% of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue.
And in the most serious cases, Ofcom can apply for a court order to stop UK users accessing the site.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this government will do everything in our power to keep women and especially children safe online.
So I can today confirm that we will build on all the measures I have already outlined and legislate in the Crime and Policing Bill – which is currently going through Parliament – to criminalise nudification apps.
This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools designed to create non-consensual intimate images, targeting the problem at its source.
And in addition to all of these actions, we expect technology companies to introduce the steps recommended by Ofcom’s guidance on how to make platforms safer for women and girls without delay.
And if they do not, I am prepared to go further.
Because this government believes tackling violence against women and girls is as important online as it is in the real world.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this is not – as some would claim – about restricting freedom of speech, something I and the whole government hold very dear.
It is about tackling violence against women and girls.
It’s about upholding basic British values of decency and respect, and ensuring the standards we expect offline are upheld online.
And it is about exercising our sovereign power and responsibility to uphold the laws of the land.
I hope this is a time when MPs on all sides of the House will stand up for British laws and British values and call out the platforms that allow explicit, degrading and illegal content.
It is time to choose a side.
If I may Madam Deputy Speaker, I would also like to address calls from MPs on all sides of this House for the government to end its participation on X.
I understand why many colleagues have come to this conclusion when X seems so unwilling to clean up its act. The government will of course keep our participation under review.
But our job is to protect women and girls from illegal and harmful content wherever it is found.
It is also worth bearing in mind, with 19 million people on X in this country, and more than a quarter using it as their primary source of news, that our views – and often simply the facts – need to be heard.
Madam Deputy Speaker, let me conclude by saying this.
AI is a transformative technology which has the potential to bring about extraordinary and welcome change.
Creating jobs and growth. Diagnosing and treating diseases. Helping children learn at school. Tackling climate change. And so much more besides.
But in order to seize these opportunities, people must feel confident that they and their children are safe online and that AI is not used for destructive and abusive ends.
Many tech companies want to and are acting responsibly. But when they do not, we must and we will act.
Innovation should serve humanity; not degrade it.
So we will leave no stone unturned in our determination to stamp out these demeaning, degrading and illegal images.
If that means strengthening the existing laws, we are prepared to do so.
Because this government stands on the side of decency.
We stand on the side of the law.
We stand for basic British values supported by the vast majority of people in this country.
Support to help businesses harness artificial intelligence
A new programme helping Scottish companies seize the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) has been launched.
Supported by nearly £1 million of Scottish Government funding, it will offer small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) a range of support – including tailored consultancy services and grants – to introduce or expand the use of AI in order to develop new products and services, grow market share and attract new investment.
The programme will be delivered by enterprise agencies – Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and South of Scotland Enterprise – together with The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and artificial intelligence and the Scottish AI Alliance.
It is the first initiative to be delivered as part of AI Scotland, a transformation programme designed to support the adoption of AI. Businesses can find out more about support available on the Find Business Support website.
To launch the programme, Business Minister Richard Lochhead visited the Edinburgh Trams depot at Gogarburn in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Trams has been working with Edinburgh-based technology consultants Integrated Human Factors to develop a wearable fatigue monitoring device.
The Minister said: “Artificial intelligence is a hugely powerful, rapidly-evolving tool that can support and drive our economy. It can enable businesses to work smarter, to innovate and empower and support its workforces. The project being developed by Integrated Human Factors and Edinburgh Trams is a great example of this.
“This national programme will help ensure SMEs across the country have the right support and guidance in place to explore and develop how the adoption of AI could support expansion, competitiveness and open new markets. I’d urge all businesses to find out more about the support and guidance now available to them.
“The programme also marks an important first step in establishing AI Scotland, a true partnership bringing together expertise from across the public and private sectors to help ensure our economy, and indeed our society, is well placed to harness AI as a tool for economic growth and a force for good across society.”
Managing Director of Productivity & Business Growth at Scottish Enterprise Rhona Allison said: “The potential for AI to drive efficiency and productivity gains and increase companies’ competitiveness is immense. Yet research shows that three quarters of Scottish SMEs aren’t using any AI technologies and don’t have plans to adopt AI in the short term.
“We understand that businesses might be finding it difficult knowing where to start on AI adoption. That’s why the delivery partners have drawn on their experience to develop this ambitious Scotland-wide programme.
“It highlights the transformative potential of AI, considers the challenges of adoption, and makes practical support available to companies looking to embed AI in their operations.”
Today is the start of Scotland’s first National Innovation Week!
We are celebrating Scotland’s proud legacy of innovation. Throughout the week we will showcase new technologies and industries of the future.
Cyber project LastingAsset has become the latest firm to spin out from Edinburgh Napier University
A team of Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) cybersecurity experts have taken their fight against impersonation scams to the next level – after setting up their own company.
LastingAsset started out as a cybersecurity project to protect digital assets, before the founding team adapted the technology to tackle imposter calls.
Their service uses cryptographic encryption and artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent fraud perpetuated by rogue actors who impersonate an organisation or individual.
Almost half of all fraud has an impersonation aspect and criminals are increasingly duping victims by using AI to socially engineer, voice clone and deep fake individuals. These crimes cost organisations across the UK billions of pounds every year.
The cryptography-based verification process developed by LastingAsset can assure client firms and their customers that they are speaking to a legitimate caller.
Having spent recent months developing their product, LastingAsset will now become the latest ENU spin-out company – the term used for new businesses which began life as an academic project.
The project was initially developed by ENU academics Dr Zakwan Jaroucheh and Professor Bill Buchanan. Their team includes co-founder and CEO Nanik Ramchandani, newly appointed Chief Operating Officer Ciara Mitchell and Senior Software Engineer Dmitri Timoshenko.
Since establishing the project more than two years ago, they have been backed by significant funding from Scottish Enterprise’s High Growth Spinout Programme, Innovate UK, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Data Lab. Their work has also drawn award recognition from the likes of Converge – claiming its Cisco Future Tech Award in 2023.
Having developed the technology, the LastingAsset team have begun exploring pilots with early adopter customers – and recently participated in a Scottish Enterprise programme to test the American market.
Dr Zakwan Jaroucheh, LastingAsset Co-founder & Chief Technical Officer, said: “Impersonation scams cause untold misery for people all around the world, and this is a big moment in our effort to fight against them.
“Edinburgh Napier University has a strong track record of supporting projects like ours to become major international companies, and we would like to thank colleagues for their help to get us to this point.”
Prof Bill Buchanan, LastingAsset Co-founder & Chief Innovator, said: “In an era of AI, there are so many opportunities to integrate privacy and digital trust into our online world.
“Our vision is to create systems which respect the rights of privacy of citizens, but where we can still address challenges around financial fraud and identity theft.
“We are aiming to build automated systems which can be trusted from a human and a technical level.”
Nanik Ramchandani, LastingAsset Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, said: “With the rapid development of AI and deepfake technology, it is more important than ever to stay one step ahead of fraudsters.
“We are determined to provide individuals with the peace of mind to confidently continue to communicate with each other knowing that they are secure and not being scammed.”
Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We are delighted with the launch of LastingAsset, the fifth spin-out from the Cybersecurity group within the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.
“Lasting Asset’s fraud detection is set to deliver significant benefits to people’s lives, by making everyday phone communications more trustworthy for everyone.
“We can’t do this alone – we are incredibly grateful for the support of our vibrant ecosystem which has been instrumental in supporting this project. I’d also like to offer thanks and congratulations to the founding team whose dedication and commitment have brought this vision to life.
“We are so proud of LastingAsset, which exemplifies our ambition to foster innovation, translate our research into real-world impact, and drive economic growth through groundbreaking technology.”
By spinning out, LastingAsset joins an impressive list of companies that began life as projects at the University, including the likes of Cyacomb, MemCrypt, Symphonic Software, ZoneFox, Mercel and Celtic Renewables.
WESTMINSTER’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hear from activist, writer and speaker Laura Bates in Parliament on Wednesday, 18 June during the third evidence session of its inquiry into Misogyny: the manosphere and online content.
MPs on the cross-party committee chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen will examine the rise of the manosphere and its influence on misogynistic behaviour and attitudes online and offline.
The session will also look at the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) and how this is facilitating misogyny, and the links between the misuse of AI and the manosphere.
Discussion is expected to focus on non-consensual intimate image abuse (NCII) through deepfakes, linked to the Committee’s current and prior work on NCII abuse, and other aspects of Bates’ research, including bias in artificial intelligence.
WEC’s inquiry explores the prevalence and impact of misogynistic views, attitudes and behaviour among men and boys, particularly in schools and educational settings, and the reasons for this.
It examines ways that boys and young men are also being harmed and if better support, activities and services need to be available to them.
Pupils across the country will be given the skills and tools needed to get the AI-powered jobs of the future thanks to a new skills programme launched by the Prime Minister
1 million students in secondary school to be given an unprecedented chance to learn and develop their skills in tech and AI
£187 million investment in national skills programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities
7.5 million UK workers to gain essential AI skills by 2030 through industry partnership as major tech players including NVIDIA, Google and Microsoft back the Government’s skills drive
Skills drive to break down barriers to opportunity, drive growth and put more money in people’s pockets through skilled jobs as part of the Plan for Change and the forthcoming modern Industrial Strategy
Pupils across the country will be given the skills and tools needed to get the AI-powered jobs of the future thanks to a new skills programme launched by the Prime Minister today (Monday 9 June).
At the heart of the skills drive, and as part of the upcoming modern Industrial Strategy, is a new £187 million government “TechFirst” programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities and train up people of all ages and backgrounds for the tech careers of the future.
Today’s announcements show this government is laser focused on investing in the futures of young people across Britain, knocking down barriers to opportunities, regardless of where they grow up.
It comes as research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) shows that by 2035, around 10 million workers will be in roles where AI will be part of their role or responsibilities in some form, with a further 3.9 million in roles directly in AI.
The flagship strand of this programme “TechYouth” – backed by £24 million of government funding – will give 1 million students over three years across every secondary school in the UK the chance to learn about technology and gain access to new skills training and career opportunities.
There will also be an online platform to inspire and educate students about the potential of computing and tech careers – building on CyberFirst’s Explorers which has access to most secondary schools in the UK with 100,000 students registered already. This will bring together learning tools and training opportunities in a streamlined accessible space.
In each of the UK’s regions and nations, a local delivery partner will be selected by DSIT to run the programme and deliver activities to schools and colleges in local areas.
The AI sector alone is valued at £72.3 billion and is projected to exceed £800 billion by 2035. It is growing 30 times faster than the rest of the economy, employing over 64,000 people across more than 3,700 companies.
But despite these strengths, access to AI skills in the UK remains one of the biggest barriers to growth—especially for startups, scaleups, and regions outside London. According to a TechNation report released today, one in three UK tech founders say the availability of top talent is their biggest barrier to growth.
That’s why the government is backing young people and investing in skills as an engine of economic growth—putting more money in people’s pockets and breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Plan for Change.
This package underpins the upcoming industrial strategy and also delivers on the government’s manifesto commitment to create higher-quality training and employment paths by empowering local communities to develop the skills people need and putting employers at the heart of our skills system.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it.
“This training programme will unlock opportunity in every classroom – and lays the foundations for a new era of growth.
“Too many children from working families like the one I grew up in are written off. I am determined to end that.
“This programme is the Plan for Change in action – breaking down barriers, driving innovation, and giving every young person the chance of a good, well paid job and a bright future.”
TechFirst will also support over 4,000 graduates, researchers, and innovators through three additional strands:
TechGrad (£96.8m) – will support 1,000 exceptional domestic students a year with undergraduate scholarships in areas like AI, cyber security, and computer science. This will also go towards 100 Research MSc places in key tech sectors, and 100 elite AI scholarships. Applicants will be able to apply to the scheme online and those successful will have their bursaries paid from a central fund.
TechExpert (£48.4m) – will give up to £10,000 in additional funding to 500 domestic PhD students conducting research in tech with the aim of accelerating cutting-edge innovation, strengthen the UK’s research pipeline in strategic technology sectors, and ensure that emerging talent is supported to contribute to national tech leadership.
TechLocal (£18m) – will offer seed funding to help regional innovators and small businesses develop new tech products and adopt AI. A panel made up of local tech businesses will be established in each region to decide which applications have merit, with the necessary checks then done centrally by Innovate UK.
Major industry players including IBM, BAE Systems, QinetiQ, BT, Microsoft and the Careers & Enterprise Company – the national body for careers education – have backed the initiative.
TechFirst builds on the success of the CyberFirst programme, which has already helped hundreds of thousands of young people gain cyber security skills.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “We are getting Brits ready for jobs of the future by helping millions across the country gain vital digital skills in AI and beyond.
“Embedding these skills into our education system and local communities will help people of all backgrounds and ensure tech talent flourishes in every corner of our nation.
“These partnerships with industry will translate skills into real jobs and economic growth, putting more money in people’s pockets and breaking down barriers to opportunity. This is our Plan for Change in action – investing in the skills that will power our economy and deliver prosperity for working people across the country.”
Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA said: “AI developers power the next industrial revolution.
“AI talent, skills and research are crucial ingredients in the UK’s mission to become an AI maker, not an AI taker. We’re delighted to partner with the government to train the next generation of AI developers, capable of finding new cures for diseases, discovering new materials and building word-class AI companies.”
Google EMEA President, Debbie Weinstein, said: “Our AI Works report revealed that £400bn worth of economic growth awaits the UK, but half of this depends on workers embracing and using AI.
“That’s precisely why we’re thrilled to join this crucial initiative, essential for supercharging AI upskilling, unlocking AI-powered growth and cementing the UK’s position as an AI leader.”
Carolyn Dawson OBE, CEO of Founders Forum Group and Tech Nation, said: “AI will transform every industry – but we can only unlock its full potential if we ensure the UK’s workforce has the skills to keep pace.
“This national upskilling programme is an ambitious and necessary step – not just to boost productivity, but to make sure we’re equipping the UK to participate in and benefit from the AI-driven economy.
“At Tech Nation, we’ve long championed the power of both homegrown talent and global expertise – whether that’s through supporting founders to scale or endorsing the UK’s Global Talent Visa. We’re proud to support initiatives that help the UK remain globally competitive”.
Leon Butler Chief Executive of IBM UK and Ireland said: ““Boosting technology skills across the economy is key to the UK maintaining its leadership position in AI. Having helped millions globally to develop new AI skills with our IBM SkillsBuild programme, we are delighted to partner with the UK government to help equip workers with vital tech skills.
“This complements our long-standing commitment to programmes such as CyberFirst, which we are excited to see expand. We look forward to continuing our support as the programme grows.”
Darren Hardman CEO of Microsoft UK said: ““Artificial Intelligence represents a generational opportunity, already transforming the way we live, work, and innovate.
“For the UK to remain globally competitive, we have to equip people with the skills they need to be successful in an AI-powered economy. Microsoft is proud to be playing its part, by training one million people with AI skills this year, and by supporting millions more through this new initiative.”
Intuit EMEA General Manager Leigh Thomas said: ““AI is a growth enabler for small and medium-sized businesses, levelling the playing field, by giving them the opportunity to access the sort of technology solutions that larger businesses have access to.
“The announcement today is a great step forward in improving their bottom line, and we look forward to collaborating with Government and other private sector partners to accelerate knowledge, understanding and adoption of AI tools by the businesses that need it most.”
Alongside TechFirst, the Prime Minister also announced a new government-industry partnership to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential skills to use AI by 2030—equivalent to around 20% of the UK workforce.
Leading technology companies including Google, Microsoft, IBM, SAS, Accenture, Sage, Barclays, BT, Amazon, Intuit, and Salesforce have signed up to the partnership. They have committed to making high-quality training materials widely available to workers in businesses – large and small – up and down the country free of charge, over the next five years.
Training will focus on enabling workers to use and interact with AI systems such as chatbots and large language models to boost productivity across a wide range of roles. Sector-specific training will also be developed to meet the needs of industries from healthcare to finance to manufacturing.
These companies will meet the Technology Secretary Peter Kyle this week to discuss how to meet the 2030 target, agree a terms of reference and will convene regularly to track progress.
Following his speech, the Prime Minister will join NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang for an “in conversation” event to discuss the challenges of closing the AI skills gap and the potential of AI to transform public services and drive economic growth.
This comes as the government and NVIDIA today signed two Memorandums of Understanding, supporting the development of a nationwide AI talent pipeline and accelerating critical university-led research into the role of AI in advanced connectivity technologies. In addition, NVIDIA will expand its AI lab in Bristol to other areas of the UK to accelerate UK research in AI.
Today’s package follows the Department for Education’s announcement of the board members for Skills England, a new body which will work with employers and local leaders to shape training policy and delivery. Skills England will identify and tackle skills shortage in key Industrial Strategy sectors such as digital, creating more opportunities for young people.
Yesterday The Prime Minister hosted a private reception at Chequers, with leading tech CEOs and investors—including Eric Schmidt (Former CEO & Chairman of Google), Angie Ma (Faculty AI) Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind), and Alex Wang (Scale) —to reaffirm the UK’s position as a global tech leader.
Tomorrow, he will welcome business leaders and entrepreneurs to Downing Street, including 16-year-old AI entrepreneur Toby Brown, who recently secured $1 million in Silicon Valley funding for his startup, Beem.
Using Artificial Intelligence in legislatures was the focus of a meeting of Speakers from the British Overseas Territories.
At a conference hosted in London by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons – the representatives heard that AI could have multiple applications in Parliaments.
However, Speakers from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena, and the UK, also conceded that using AI did not come without its risks.
Hon Tara K Carter, Speaker of Anguilla’s House of Assembly, who led the debate on Artificial Intelligence, joked that her island was the ‘birthplace of AI’ as it had been assigned ‘.ai’ internet address in the 1990s.
While there was ‘a lot of fear and resistance’ to the use of AI in parliamentary proceedings among smaller islands, she said, as a lawyer, AI had reduced her legal drafting and analysis – from three hours to half an hour.
‘If we are AI based, there’s no reason why I can’t have the transcript coming up in real time,’ she added.
Hansard – the Official Record of the UK Parliament – has been experimenting with auto speech recognition.
Judge Karen Ramagge, Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament, expressed concerns about ‘the reliability of what is being produced. ‘What holds us back in constitutional practice is the fear and responsibility to produce accurate transcripts,’ she said.
Hon Corine N. George-Massicote, Speaker of BVI’s House of Assembly, added her fears about the use of ‘deepfakes’ on social media, where the voice and image of parliamentarians has been manipulated.
‘If you see something on Facebook, it seems very real – the face of a Member; the voice is very close. How do you hold the person responsible or accountable for this?’ she said.
In their communique at the close of the four-day conference, the Speakers agreed to focus on the challenge of transcribing chamber proceedings over the next year, and to share resources, solutions and virtual training ‘to use AI for good’.
During the gathering, COTSC also discussed the role of Speakers during election times, and keeping Parliaments secure and resilient in the face of natural and humanmade disasters.
