Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the importance of developing transformative AI capability as a domain of strategic competition.

• AI capabilities are developing at an extraordinary pace. AI represents an opportunity to significantly improve the quality of life for ordinary people through economic growth, public service delivery, and scientific discovery. AI can nonetheless exacerbate existing risks and introduce novel risks.
• The Government continuously assesses the development of AI and its strategic implications, including through the work of the AI Security Institute which reports directly to me. AISI has developed world leading technical expertise which informs the Government’s understanding of AI and our strategy to seize its opportunities and address its risks.
• This Government is realising the benefits of AI through delivery of the AI Opportunities Action Plan. In an AI-enabled world, it matters who influences and builds the models, data and AI infrastructure that are increasingly present in our lives. This is why as part of the Action Plan we have established a Sovereign AI Unit with up to £500m in funding to ensure we have world-leading companies operating in critical AI domains.