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Thank you very much Carolyn. And thank you to all of you. It’s really good to be back at Tech Week… We had such a good year last year when we were here. And it’s really good to see so many of you again. Now, when we talk about technology, it’s always tempting to jump straight to the future. To think about what may or may not be just around the corner. But today I want to start with what we do know. With the stories b...
Thank you very much Carolyn. And thank you to all of you. It’s really good to be back at Tech Week… We had such a good year last year when we were here. And it’s really good to see so many of you again. Now, when we talk about technology, it’s always tempting to jump straight to the future. To think about what may or may not be just around the corner. But today I want to start with what we do know. With the stories being written across Britain right now. Stories like the one unfolding in Warrington. Now, you may not know this… But for centuries, Warrington was at the forefront of Britain’s soap-making industry. And until a few years ago, a Unilever factory was its epicentre. Generations of local people worked there. Families built their lives around it. And for over 130 years, the smell of soap from that factory was a familiar part of daily life. But then it closed. And for many people in the town… That factory became a symbol of a community left behind. But today, I am pleased to tell you that story is changing… Because that factory is being transformed… Into a new AI data centre. Bringing in new investment… New skilled jobs… And new opportunities for a generation growing up in Warrington today. Now - admittedly, you don’t get many data centres that smell like hand soap… But young people can look at that site and see not what their community used to be… But what it can become. And there are stories like that all over the country. In Lanarkshire, in Liverpool, in Leeds… And they all speak to the same possibility. They give us a glimpse of an emerging revolution in technology. A revolution with the potential to transform lives… To strengthen communities… and create opportunities right across the country. And a revolution that Britain is uniquely placed to lead. I mean - Britain is the third largest technology economy in the world. Our startups have raised close to half of all European investment in tech this year. Now, just stop to reflect on that… Half of all European tech investment… In this country. That is a profound achievement - and it belongs to so many people in this room. Now - that hasn’t happened by accident. Each one of those investments is an endorsement… Of British talent… Of British industry… And of the approach Britain is taking. An approach that has in no small part been shaped by so many people in this room. And by the conversations that we’ve had in the last two years. The conversations about what it takes to build a tech company in Britain… About the barriers you’ve told me about that hold business back… And about the choices government must take if we want the next generation of world-leading firms… To be world-leading British firms. Because we all know that great tech companies need the right conditions to succeed. They need the freedom to move fast… That’s why we have taken action to simplify regulation… And challenge unnecessary barriers to innovation. They need access to the best talent in the world… That’s why we created the Global Talent Taskforce… And continue to strengthen the routes that bring more exceptional innovators to Britain. They need capital… And that’s why we are unlocking more investment from pension funds and insurers… Strengthening our capital markets… And backing companies to scale in the United Kingdom. And they need customers. And that is why I am so pleased that we have struck trade deals all over the world… It’s why we’re using government procurement to open new doors. Now, people might hear this and think… That’s pretty good going. Third largest tech economy in the world… Half of all European tech investment… A pipeline of talent envied across the world. Pretty good going. They are right. Britain has every reason to be confident. We are on the precipice of something truly extraordinary. But that brings me to a bigger question. Not whether this revolution in technology is coming… Because it is. Not whether it will transform our economy… Because it will. The real question is what kind of country we want to be as it unfolds. The question is whether we shape this change… Or allow it to shape us. Because the way I see it… On artificial intelligence, Britain has three options. One… We could stick our head in the sand… Pretend it isn’t happening… And hope for the best. Well I won’t accept that. Option two… You can remove the guardrails completely… And ignore the consequences. No matter that some communities might be left behind… That wealth and power might become concentrated in fewer hands… That our children might face an increasingly unsafe world online. Well I can tell you - I won’t accept that either. Or you can take a third path… [Political content redacted] Where we back the British businesses creating the jobs and technologies of the future… But never lose sight of who that progress must serve. Where British tech companies start here, scale here, and stay here… But the rewards of their success are felt in communities right across the country. And where government is active in its approach towards tech… Supporting risk-takers… Making its own bets… Providing the conditions for businesses to thrive… But also… Making sure we are sovereign… Giving working people security and opportunity through change. That is our path… Britain leading this new revolution in technology… With our firms at the front… And our people at its core. Now that starts with backing our own innovators. Because if there’s one area where Britain is already ahead… It is talent. I mean – this is the country that invented the World Wide Web… That pioneered the jet engine… And powered the Industrial Revolution. Innovation is in this country’s DNA. And it is the job of government not just to recognise the scale of that talent… But to match it with the scale of our ambition. And that means doing three things. First, we must make sure Britain remains the home of those ideas… And give our innovators the tools they need to stay at the cutting edge. That is why this Government has committed record levels of funding for research and development already. But it is not just enough for ideas to be born here. They have to be able to grow here too. So second, we must provide the right conditions for our firms to scale. That is why we are taking an even more intentional approach. Crowding in capital… Betting big on British businesses… And creating the confidence for others around the world to do the same. You can see that with Reflection AI… One of the world’s most promising AI firms… Who are expanding right here in Britain… Creating a thousand roles over the next three years… Because of our world-class talent pool. And companies like AMD… And we’re going to hear from them in a minute… Who are also doubling down on Britain. And finally, thirdly, if government wants innovation to flourish… It must be a regulator, yes… But it must be more than that. It must be a partner. So we will use the power of public procurement… To support British ingenuity… And give our innovators the best chance to compete for public contracts. That is why today I am really pleased to announce a new strategy… To develop sovereign compute capability. It includes a major new commitment to purchase specialist AI chips… Worth around £400 million… Providing a generational opportunity to some of our most promising startups. And alongside that… Government will scale our testbed for AI compute systems… Turning it into a national capability… Supporting British start-ups with our multi-billion pound infrastructure programme. That to me is what an active industrial strategy looks like in technology. Building the foundations of the future. Backing the companies creating it. And making sure the next generation of success lies right here in Britain. So look, there’s plenty for us to be excited about. But I know there are worries too. And we should all be clear… The British people need to see the benefits of this in their communities… For any of it to carry consent. I mean - I’ve spoken to workers who are concerned about what the growth in tech means for their jobs… Parents who are worried about what it means for their kids… And people outside of London who worry that it means nothing for them at all. That this is about somebody wealthier… Somebody far away… Somebody already ahead. [Political content redacted] Because as we navigate this revolution in technology…. Our north star will always remain the same: working people. In every part of this country. And of course, that must start with safety. The pace of change cannot be an excuse for harm. And where technology poses a threat to our people… To our children… We will act quickly and firmly. Now you saw that earlier this year with Grok. They allowed their tools to be used to create disgusting, explicit AI images… So we took them on. And all tech companies should know… If they fall short on their responsibility to keep people safe… We will act with the same decisiveness. And one issue is the ability for children, with phones… To send and receive nude images. Now for too long… People have been told that is simply the price of modern tech. That nothing can be done… That government is powerless… That parents just have to accept it. I reject that completely. Because tech should adapt to the needs of society… Not the other way around. And so if we are serious about unlocking the opportunities that tech can bring… Then we must also be serious about protecting our children from those who look to abuse it. From the online predators who target our children… And from the sexual abuse that they enable. That is why today… I am calling on tech companies operating in this country… To introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images. Because this is not an impossible challenge. These are some of the most innovative companies in the world… And I believe they can solve it. But if they choose not to… Then we will act. And we will change the law. Because when it comes to the safety of our children… Standing by is not an option. We will also make sure that our young people are equipped with the skills to meet this new world. Now last year, I set us a target of upskilling seven and a half million workers with AI training by 2030. I said that from this stage one year ago in this very week. So today, I am really pleased to report back that 1.7 million workers have already received that training. And while we can’t know exactly where AI will cause disruption… We can know how we will respond. We can know whose side we will be on. Because the choices this [political content redacted] Government has made already tell that story. More apprenticeships… Higher education reform… Higher standards in technical learning… Our Youth Guarantee… Those are not separate policies. They are our answer to a changing economy. They are about how we make sure, as tech advances… Working people are not left behind. But that cannot be the limit of our ambition. Because when people look to the future… I don’t want them to see something that they have to endure - or to battle… I want them to see something that they can be part of. Something that creates opportunity… That is hopeful… Not just for those who work in technology… Not just for those who work in London… But for people in every part of this country. Because the truth is… That future is already beginning to take shape. AI is delivering faster diagnoses in our NHS… Reducing court backlogs… And speeding up planning decisions. Those are real benefits… Being felt by people across Britain… Right now. And we are going further on this every day… Launching new tools. Like our AI tutors… That we will roll out to the 450,000 children on free school meals… To close the attainment gap. And, today, I can announce our new AI jobs tool… That will help those out of work… Find the right jobs… Create their CVs… And get back into work. But look - the real prize here is bigger than any single piece of tech. It is what growth can mean for our communities. Stronger local economies… New investment… More opportunities for young people. Areas that have been left behind finding a new sense of purpose. The kind of change that we’re seeing in Warrington… And the kind of change we can see across Britain if we choose to seize it. Now - I don’t pretend to know exactly what the world will look like in ten years’ times. There will be new conversations… New technologies… New tools we use every day. The pace of change will not slow down. But, in truth, that’s not what matters most. What matters is whether Britain is ready for it. Whether British innovators have the tools, the investment and the backing that they need to lead it. And whether working people have the opportunity to benefit from it. Ultimately that comes down to the choices that we make. The choices this [political content redacted] Government is already making. The choice between a young person ready to seize the opportunities of the future… Or one left struggling to find their place in it. Between a community that watches opportunity pass it by… Or one that is revived by new investment, new jobs, and new hope. And between a Britain that watches the future unfold… Or helps to build it. Now this Government has made its choice… We choose to take control of our future… We choose to be ambitious about what Britain can achieve. And we choose to make AI work for the whole of our country… And in partnership with you… We choose to build a stronger, fairer Britain. Thank you.
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