UK risks becoming 'AI customer' rather than creator, advisers warn
UK science advisers warn that the country risks becoming a mere consumer of AI technology rather than a creator. They recommend urgent government intervention, including infrastructure investment and a national AI sovereignty policy, to maintain strategic autonomy.
Why it matters
This reflects the growing global geopolitical competition for technological independence and the economic risks of relying on foreign AI infrastructure.
LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Britain risks becoming a "high-value AI customer" rather than a country able to shape the technology unless it takes urgent action to build domestic capabilities, the government's top science advisers said on Monday.
Governments around the world are racing to build AI capabilities, driven by concerns that countries without their own expertise, computing infrastructure and models could become increasingly dependent on a handful of mostly U.S.-based companies that dominate the technology.
The Council for Science and Technology, an independent advisory body that advises the government on science and technology policy, said decisions made now would determine whether Britain captures the economic and public benefits of AI while maintaining resilience and strategic autonomy.
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