The AI opportunities action plan: A bright start?

Earlier this month, the Government published the AI Opportunities Action Plan. The Plan is a clear statement of intent from the UK Government to increase focus and investment on AI adoption within the public sector. Drivers for this include recognising that the UK has fallen behind other countries – particularly the USA and China – and the opportunities AI offers as a catalyst for growth and transformation across the Government’s Plan for Change and five missions.

The Plan outlines that the UK must “step up” and start to shape the AI revolution, with three priority areas: 

1. Investment in “AI Foundations” (Data, infrastructure, talent, regulation) 
2. Adopt AI products and services to drive productivity gains and improve citizen experiences  
3. Build frontier AI within the UK

We caught up with AI and Public Sector experts Ankit Bharadwaj and Jess Tray to get their initial reactions to the plan.

What’s great about this plan?

We feel the Action Plan is a bold and much-needed step towards positioning the UK as a global leader in AI. We particularly like the:

1. Clear Commitment: The plan underscores the UK’s dedication to becoming a global AI powerhouse, backed by significant investment and long-term vision.

2. Focus on Societal Impact: Prioritising AI’s role in public services demonstrates a strong intent to improve lives while fostering trust in the technology.

3. Encouragement for Local Innovation: By supporting homegrown talent and infrastructure, the plan paves the way for a thriving domestic AI industry.

What are the challenges in making this a reality? 

• The focus on enablers of AI is positive, but potentially underestimates (or underplays) the challenges of making this a reality, and the trade-offs that will be required.  

• The Government will need to justify a significant investment in AI where outcomes are uncertain, and have a clear narrative on why this investment should be made as opposed to funding other critical projects within Government (e.g. new schools or hospitals).  

• The vision of an AI-enabled Britain feels at odds with the reality of many public sector services. In some cases, AI will be the answer, in other cases, it’s likely not to be.  

• In the absence of an established Regulatory landscape, the move towards an innovation focused Action Plan could lead to irresponsible, unethical or unsecure adoption of AI solutions.  

We’ve seen a lot of AI hype in the last few years and The Action Plan will no doubt be a springboard for a renewed approach for businesses, but this needs to be balanced by critically assessing where and when AI is the right solution for the challenges the Public Sector is facing.

What do leaders need to do to capitalise on future opportunities?

With this increased investment and focus on AI adoption, it’s clear that a time of significant opportunity and change approaches us. Leaders need to act now to start positioning their organisations to successfully capitalise on the new initiatives in a responsible way that brings their employees along for the journey.

1. Prioritise Strategic Planning: Develop a clear AI strategy that aligns with your organisation’s goals, value and the opportunities.
2. Invest in Skills and Capability Building: Build AI literacy to equip teams with the knowledge and tools to work effectively with AI technologies.
3. Focus on Responsible AI: With the growing AI regulatory landscape, adopt frameworks that emphasise transparency, fairness, and accountability across the AI lifecycle.