Politics Home Article | How data will unlock growth through AI in the UK economy

Research by Experian and techUK has estimated that GenAI could add between £30 billion and £120 billion annually to the UK economy over the next decade.

The debate often focuses on visible infrastructure: compute capacity, data centres, chips and energy. These are important, but they are not enough. The real engine of AI-led growth will be data: its quality, availability, governance and relevance to the problems organisations are trying to solve.

AI systems are only as useful as the information that supports them. Poor data can produce unreliable outputs, biased decisions and weak adoption. High-quality, well-governed data can help organisations understand customers, identify risk, prevent fraud, personalise services, improve forecasting and deploy capital more effectively. In financial services, that can mean better affordability assessments, stronger fraud protection and wider inclusion. In the public sector, it can mean earlier intervention and more targeted support. Across the economy, it can mean significant growth and productivity gains that reach beyond technology teams into everyday operations.

This is why data should be treated as part of the UK’s economic infrastructure. Just as roads, energy networks and broadband enable growth, trusted data enables better decisions. Government, regulators and industry should work together to create the conditions for responsible data use: consistent standards, secure digital identity, clear accountability, explainability, auditability and appropriate human oversight.

Businesses also need to close the confidence gap around AI. Leaders may recognise its potential, but employees need practical training, clear policies and permission to experiment safely. Responsible adoption will depend on bringing people with us, not simply imposing new tools on top of old ways of working.

The prize is not abstract. AI grounded in trusted data can help small businesses access finance, consumers receive more personalised support, lenders manage risk, and organisations reduce friction in the services people use every day. It can also help regional economies develop new skills and capabilities, as partnerships between businesses and universities connect practical engineering, analytics and governance expertise.

When I met the minister for artificial intelligence, Kanishka Narayan, recently, I was encouraged by the government’s determination to balance innovation with safety. Experian believes that both can be achieved through building on trusted data.

Much of the national AI debate has focused on how the UK will deliver sovereign compute capacity, chips and data centres. While those areas matter, infrastructure alone will not lead to more effective public services, higher growth, better lending, stronger fraud prevention, and increased business productivity. Organisations need data that is accurate, user-friendly and responsibly governed to ensure there is clear accountability for AI-supported decisions.

The UK should be ambitious about AI, but ambition must be matched by trust. If we want AI to unlock growth, we must start with the foundations: better data, stronger governance and a clear focus on outcomes for people, businesses and society. Compute may power the machine, but data will determine whether AI delivers value. Getting that right is how the UK can turn technological promise into lasting economic progress.