Starmer Looks to Win Over Skeptics With UK Plan to Lead on AI

At his party’s inaugural investment summit last week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer positioned himself as a champion for artificial intelligence. Appearing alongside former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, Starmer called AI an “opportunity,” rather than something to be scared of, and said his country “needs to run towards” it.

The public remarks, among his first on the subject since taking office in July, were intended to reassure business leaders ahead of the British premier’s opening moves on AI. In the coming months, Starmer’s Labour government is expected to release a plan for harnessing the technology in the public sector, as well as a bill to regulate the most advanced models. For Starmer, those policies are part of a broader effort to instill confidence in his economic agenda after a rocky start to his tenure – and to capitalize on the tech industry’s frustration with tougher regulations in the EU.