UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened London Tech Week by announcing new policies and significant funding to boost the UK's artificial intelligence infrastructure. Key initiatives include £1 billion for AI compute, a new government AI assistant named 'Extract' to streamline the planning system, and a 'TechFirst' initiative with £187 million for teaching AI skills in schools. He also announced a partnership with the tech industry to train 7.5 million UK workers in AI by the end of the decade, aiming to address public fears about AI's impact on jobs and emphasize its potential to create wealth, improve public services, and build a better future.
Keir Starmer says technology can create a ‘better future’ as he addresses AI fears
Keir StarmerPoliticsArtificial intelligence (AI)UKTechnology
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened London Tech Week by announcing new policies and significant funding to boost the UK's artificial intelligence infrastructure. Key initiatives include £1 billion for AI compute, a new government AI assistant named 'Extract' to streamline the planning system, and a 'TechFirst' initiative with £187 million for teaching AI skills in schools. He also announced a partnership with the tech industry to train 7.5 million UK workers in AI by the end of the decade, aiming to address public fears about AI's impact on jobs and emphasize its potential to create wealth, improve public services, and build a better future.
Trending- 1 Keir Starmer opened London Tech Week with policy announcements (2025-06-09)
- 2 Announced £1 billion extra funding for AI compute
- 3 Announced new government AI assistant 'Extract'
- 4 Announced £187 million 'TechFirst' initiative
- 5 Announced partnership to train 7.5 million UK workers by end of decade
- Boost to UK's artificial intelligence infrastructure
- Transformation and speeding up of the planning system
- Potential unlocking of new homes
- Preparation of British citizens for future jobs
- Increased wealth and improved public services
- Addressing public fears and skepticism about AI
What: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a series of policy changes and funding initiatives to enhance the UK's artificial intelligence capabilities and address public concerns regarding AI. This includes a £1 billion investment in AI compute (microchips, processing units, cabling), the introduction of 'Extract', a new government AI assistant powered by Google's Gemini AI model, designed to process planning applications and cut red tape. Additionally, a £187 million 'TechFirst' initiative was announced to teach AI skills in schools, alongside a partnership with the tech industry to train 7.5 million UK workers in AI by the end of the decade.
When: London Tech Week, 2025-06-09T11:15:10+00:00 (article published date); announcements made 'by the end of this parliament' and 'by the end of the decade' for training goals; 'before Wednesday’s government spending review'.
Where: London Tech Week, London, UK.
Why: To create a 'better future' for children, generate wealth, create good jobs, vastly improve public services, and address 'social fear' and skepticism about AI's impact on employment. Specifically, to speed up an 'outdated' planning system, help planning officers 'cut red tape, speed up decisions, and unlock the new homes for hard-working people'. The initiatives also aim to help British citizens get 'ready for jobs of the future'.
How: By allocating £1 billion in funding for AI compute, developing and deploying the 'Extract' AI assistant, launching the 'TechFirst' initiative with £187 million, and forming a partnership with the tech industry for workforce training.