UK will not pit AI safety against investment in bid for growth, says minister

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Online safety cannot be “pitted against economic investment”, the Science Secretary has said as he prepares to launch the UK’s AI action plan.

Peter Kyle is set to unveil the Government’s plans for AI on Monday, setting out how the UK will encourage innovation while ensuring safety.

Speaking to the Observer, Mr Kyle said: “We need a concerted effort as a country to ensure now, while we’re still in the foothills, that we are laying the foundations.

“I don’t want us to be a country that is always buying off the shelf from others. I want us to be at the cutting edge. We are the third largest AI market in the world, but we’re not touching the sides of our potential.”

The details of the plan are yet to be announced, but Mr Kyle was adamant that attracting tech investment would not come at the cost of weakening safety standards.

He said: “The threshold for these laws allows responsible free speech to a very, very high degree. But I just make this basic point: access to British society and our economy is a privilege, it’s not a right.

“And none of our basic protections for children and vulnerable people are up for negotiation… Safety is not something that is pitted against economic investment.”

The launch of the AI action plan comes as major American tech companies appear to be aligning themselves with incoming US president Donald Trump and pushing back against regulation around the world.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced his company would be scaling back its content moderation efforts while X owner Elon Musk has repeatedly prioritised “free speech absolutism” since taking over the platform formerly known as Twitter.

But Mr Kyle insisted the UK could become an AI “sweet spot”, attracting the sort of investment and innovation that could cut government costs and boost economic growth.

The bid for growth has become more urgent over the past week, with rising bond yields threatening to derail Labour’s already tight spending plans.

Rachel Reeves has already asked ministers to come up with concrete plans for securing more growth, while Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones has set his sights on cutting waste.

Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Jones said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to reducing waste.

He said: “Departments have been told they must find savings and efficiencies across their budgets while making sure every pound of taxpayer money is spent wisely.

“They also need to focus on prioritising spending that supports economic growth, as we set out on our mission to grow our economy and improve living standards for people across the country.”