Starmer Says – The Prime Minister’s View on How the UK Will Become a ‘World Leader’ in AI… But What About Cyber Security?
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer described artificial intelligence (AI) as the "defining opportunity" of our generation, outlining his ambitious plans to position the UK as a global leader in AI innovation.
The Prime Minister emphasised the transformative potential of AI, highlighting its vast benefits for enhancing productivity and quality across key sectors. He envisions AI doing much of the ‘heavy lifting’ in healthcare, education, and public services, revolutionising how these industries operate and unlocking unprecedented efficiencies for society at large.
His optimistic outlook underscores a commitment to harnessing AI’s power to drive growth and progress, portraying it as the key to a future where processes are streamlined, services personalised, and innovation accelerated.
This all sounds great, right? But what about the cyber security implications?
AI’s potential is undeniable - but so are the risks. As organisations integrate AI into critical processes, the attack surface expands, creating new challenges around data governance, privacy, and resilience. As such, cyber security professionals face a pressing challenge: how do we protect sensitive data, defend against AI-driven threats, and ensure security keeps pace with innovation? How is sensitive data going to be governed to ensure that increased productivity doesn’t come at the expense of cyber security?
The Speech
The Prime Minister said the Government would be developing the 50 recommendations as per the AI Opportunities Action Plan. This plan was authored by technology adviser and Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, Matt Clifford, and is the UK government's comprehensive strategy to position the nation as a global leader in artificial intelligence while addressing its societal, economic, and environmental impacts. It aims to harness AI to transform industries, improve public services, and promote ethical and sustainable AI use.
What’s Been Proposed?
AI Growth Zones: the government have proposed the inception of new ‘AI growth zones’, whereby if you’re an AI business, you can set up in one of these zones and benefit from faster and more efficient planning processes
Supercomputer: plans to build a new ‘supercomputer’ have been unveiled. This is to boost the UK’s computing power, allegedly by ‘twentyfold’ by 2030.
Public Sector Focus: by utilising AI’s enhanced productivity benefits, those in the public sector will be able to provide ‘more human’ services. For example, reducing admin and paperwork for teachers, allowing them to spend more time with students.
Increased Efficiency: moreover, it will look at speeding up lots of tedious processes across a variety of industries, i.e.: to inspect roads and potholes.
National Data Library: a new national data library to collect all data obtained from AI, for example, anonymised health data. Starmer urged that it’s of the upmost importance to ‘keep control of the data’ when asked whether companies would be able to buy it or not.
It All Sounds Great… But What Are the Cyber Security Considerations?
The widespread adoption of AI undeniably offers tremendous benefits, from enhanced productivity to cost savings, but it comes with substantial risks that demand serious consideration. A consideration that, at present, hasn’t been mentioned by the Prime Minister.
Considering the key industries Starmer named specifically (healthcare, education and employment), there is a critical issue glaringly absent from the recent speech, and that is, cyber security.
With AI, comes significant cyber risks. The novelty of the tech means we don’t yet fully understand the scope of potential threats. As with anything, embracing new technology presents an opportunity to learn as we go, but applying AI hastily to sensitive sectors like healthcare, where data breaches could have life-or-death consequences, might be a particularly alarming proposition.
The government’s "just do it" approach risks leaping into uncharted waters without the necessary legal frameworks, regulations, and comprehensive education around compliance, safe usage, and best practices.
Most AI users today are non-technical professionals, underscoring the danger of mass adoption without adequate safeguards. Before AI becomes commonplace, crucial questions need answering – what data is collected, how is it used, and where is it stored? How do we ensure its security, limit access, and define clear guidelines on what information should or should not enter AI systems? These questions are universally important, but when dealing with healthcare data or educational information, the stakes are significantly higher.
The issue is not whether we should adopt AI – we absolutely should, given its undeniable impact on productivity, creativity, and quality control, but rather how fast we proceed, and with what guardrails. Starmer’s speech highlights the need for powerful new infrastructure like supercomputers but neglects the equally critical "golden trio" of cyber security – people, process, and technology.
Even with the right technology, do we have the skilled workforce to manage it effectively? Adam Leon Smith, a Fellow of The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS), warns that transforming the UK’s AI landscape will require tens of thousands of trained AI professionals, and the cyber security sector, already grappling with a well-documented talent shortage, will face similar challenges.
Education and curriculum reform to build these skills are promising solutions that have been currently proposed by IT and tech experts, but they won’t materialise overnight. Meanwhile, the rapid spread of AI raises immediate security concerns. Misused AI has already led to the proliferation of deepfakes and sophisticated phishing attacks. If widespread AI adoption occurs too quickly, how will an already overstretched cyber security workforce cope with the exponential rise in threats?
Moving forward with AI is essential, but only with measured, informed steps that prioritise safety, robust governance, controlled influence and the cultivation of the human expertise necessary to secure this evolving technological frontier.
What is the Answer?
The Prime Minister’s speech is a positive development that underscores AI’s transformative potential. The UK’s proactive stance can drive innovation and economic growth, positioning the nation alongside AI leaders like the US and China. However, excitement must be balanced with caution.
As Zoe Kleinman, technology journalist for the BBC points out, the proposal is both ‘decisive’ and ‘full of practical detail’, paving the way for future opportunities. Yet, there must be more conversation around the critical question that remains: how will we, the cyber security industry, keep the nation secure as AI adoption grows?
The government’s vision must be underpinned by comprehensive strategies to mitigate risks, bolster cyber security, and close the skills gap. Only then, with the right safeguards in place, the UK can achieve AI excellence while protecting its infrastructure and citizens from the resultant, as well as new and emerging, threats.
How Can Cyro Cyber Help?
The AI revolution is here, and with it, a myriad of new cyber security challenges. At Cyro Cyber, we help organisations stay ahead of emerging threats, ensuring that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of security. Get in touch with our experts today to learn how we can help you safeguard your business in an AI-driven world.
