UK’s Keir Starmer: Don’t be scared of AI

LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that Britain “needs to run towards” the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.

Speaking alongside former Google CEO Eric Schmidt at the U.K.’s International Investment Summit, Starmer said that AI would create “incredible change” in the next five to 10 years and that the government would seek to embrace it. 

“Are we leaning in and seeing this as an opportunity, as I do? Or are we leaning out, saying ‘this is rather scary, we better regulate it,’ which I think will be the wrong approach,” he said. 

The previous Rishi Sunak-led Tory government strongly emphasized the potential risks of the technology and focused on AI safety.

“Obviously, there’s always a question of balance, but what’s your primary posture really matters on AI, it is a game changer that has massive potential on productivity, and on driving our economy, and we need to run towards it,” said Starmer. 

Starmer said there was huge potential for AI “to be a game changer when it comes to the delivery of public services.” His government has begun programs of work looking at how the technology could be used in the public sector and to unlock economic growth.

The conversation also touched on energy requirements. “The demand for energy for data centers is massive,” said Schmidt. “We need you to approve the necessary steps to make these data centers in Britain, because your research scientists, your companies, your citizens, all need these things now.” 

Schmidt suggested that AI would help solve problems of energy usage. “Invest in AI, and as a result, the solutions to the energy transition become apparent much quicker,” he said. Schmidt said this month that there was no point trying to meet global climate goals. 

Starmer responded that the demand for AI data centers would help boost demand for “clean, reliable, cheaper energy,” which the U.K. was committed to supplying. “On the face of it, there’s a tension, but I actually think if we’re smart about this, we can turn that apparent tension into a massive advantage,” he said.

The government also introduced an industrial strategy green paper on Monday morning, identifying “digital and technologies” as one of the eight sectors making outsized contributions to U.K. growth.