# The Morning Intelligence > The Morning Intelligence is a daily briefing covering the people, politics and policies behind AI in the UK. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### Welcome to your group subscription URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/group-subscription-add-emails/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T18:56:47.000Z Thank you so much for signing up and taking out a group subscription - you're officially in (and on our cheapest per seat package). _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### What to expect from The Morning Intelligence URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/about/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T08:46:10.000Z The Morning Intelligence tells the UK’s AI story through the most-relevant reporting and sharp analysis. It covers **the people, policies and politics shaping AI in the UK, as well as AI's impact on our country.** It aims to set you up for the day (and save you several hours) with intel and insight, anchored in a newsletter that takes less than five minutes to read or listen to. The daily briefing, sent out at 7:30am weekdays, has quickly built an influential and highly engaged readership of 1300 subscribers. It includes senior policymakers, politicians, civil servants, regulators, VCs, lawyers, founders, think tanks, lobbyists and industry groups. **It covers:** \-The people and companies building Britain’s AI future \-The policies, politics and regulation impacting AI in areas like safety, skills, energy, procurement, copyright and competition. \-The geopolitics of the UK's AI strategy \-The AI data centre buildout If you've got something to say about any of the above then do get in touch. **Who’s it for?** This is for anyone who needs to know about AI in the UK, including civil servants, founders, investors, policymakers, politicians, lobbyists, advocacy groups, regulators, academics, journalists, think tankers and law firms. **It will help…** *\-Policy pros overloaded by government papers, consultations and rumours* *\-Think tanks and academia needing clarity* *\-Tech companies facing regulatory and political uncertainty* *\-Investors and founders needing foresight* **What to expect** The Morning Intelligence arrives in your inbox at 7:30 a.m. weekdays, with a link also sent [to our WhatsApp channel (follow here and unmute notifications)](https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7u7ldEgGfHsITNHN0K?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). All content is free until ***Monday,*** ***April 13th.*** After that, free subscribers will see a preview of the top of the newsletter. A [paid subscription](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal) gets you full access and is charged at ***£30/month*** for an individual or ***£20/month*** as an annual subscription. By far the cheapest option is a group subscription (minimum of five seats) which works out at **£15/month** per seat or **£12.50/month** annually. The group subscription costs **70p a day per person** \- something to tell your finance department. This pricing aims to make the product as accessible as possible. It costs a tiny fraction of its nearest comparable product. It won’t publish for two weeks over Christmas or for some of August - we all need a break and I have two young children who need to see their daddy sometimes. I hope you find it useful, good value and occasionally funny. You can find out more about my motivation and the [ideas underpinning it here](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/founders-note/). Thanks for reading and do get in touch with any ideas, tips or state secrets. Tom Bristow Founder & Editor *February 2026* ***editor@themorningintelligence.uk*** ### Welcome to The Morning Intelligence 👋 URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/welcome-to-the-morning-intelligence/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T18:56:29.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Calendar URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T10:06:17.000Z **Here you can find a calendar of AI events in the UK to help you plan your life. Something we're missing? Email editor@themorningintelligence.uk to get featured.** _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Partner with us URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/partner-with-us/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T08:27:48.000Z The Morning Intelligence has a highly-engaged and influential audience including politicians, civil servants, regulators, VCs, lawyers, founders, think tanks and industry groups. We’re offering: 📰 **Weekly newsletter sponsorship** 🎙️ **Sponsored webinars** 📦 **Monthly packages** 😀 *"Locai Labs' four-week campaign provided us with very effective exposure to the key decision-makers and policy-makers in the UK grappling with AI. We are delighted with the results."* — Lord Paul Drayson, chairman of Locai Labs. *“We sponsored a webinar with The Morning Intelligence on AI and copyright. We got a fantastically engaged and knowledgeable audience.”* — Richard Mollet, Head of European Government Affairs, RELX. Fill out the form below to get full details. 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The ICO’s address: Information Commissioner’s OfficeWycliffe HouseWater LaneWilmslowCheshireSK9 5AF Helpline number: 0303 123 1113Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint ### Contact URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/contact/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T08:30:04.000Z **Pitches** To pitch a story idea as a freelance journalist or as a PR, please email [editor@themorningintelligence.co.uk](mailto:editor@themorningintelligence.co.uk) **Tips** To share any confidential info please contact Tom via Signal (tbristow.50) **Subscriptions** For subscription enquiries, admin and invoices, please contact [hello@themorningintelligence.uk](mailto:hello@themorningintelligence.uk) **Sponsorships** For info about advertising in The Morning Intelligence or partnering on events [please, fill in this form](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/partner-with-us/). ## Posts ### Britain's £30m bid to redesign AI URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-sofair-ai-research-lab-bdget-launch/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T06:27:27.000Z Good morning, In reference to yesterday's opener, there is also a train in Doncaster where you can spot polar bears, according to one source. Good to know. SPONSORED [****Secure your place at London's big AI meet this September**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) If you work in UK AI policy, this is the room to be in. [Civo Navigate London](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) brings 800+ leaders and builders together on September 22nd to debate the questions that matter the most: AI governance, data sovereignty, and what the next era of cloud infrastructure looks like in practice. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600\. TMI readers get in for £25 with the code ****MI25**. [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Next Week 📆 The main event is King Charles hosting top tech execs at Dumfries House in Ayrshire (AKA my wedding venue). I think I get put in the Tower if I reveal the day, but one to watch for the photos at least. The event is held under the Ditchley Foundation Rule meaning what is said at Dumfries House, stays at Dumfries House. The TUC's annual Congress starts in Brighton **on Sunday**. There are plenty of relevant tech [motions](https://congress.tuc.org.uk/?s=tech&ref=themorningintelligence.uk#sthash.HfNaXfo8.dpbs) being put forward by unions for debate, including one by the [CWU on](https://congress.tuc.org.uk/motion-61-ai-for-the-benefit-of-workers-and-society/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) "AI for the benefit of workers and society". **On Tuesday**, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee [takes evidence](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/28207?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the machinery of government changes. [That afternoon](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/28206?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) a Lords committee hears about the implementation of the Online Safety Act. The Commons only sits until Tuesday afternoon and the Lords break from Thursday for a month for conference season. TechUK [hosts an event](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/local-public-services-innovation-summit-2026.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on innovation in local public services **on Tuesday,** while **on Wednesday** the LSE starts a two-day conference on [AI and the workforce](https://www.lse.ac.uk/global-ai-forum/programme?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****👞 The man building Britain's frontier research lab on a shoestring** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### If you can't beat them, convene them URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/aisis-denied-anthropic-model-access/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T06:27:54.000Z Happy Thursday, I'm typing on the only train in England where you can see a polar bear out of the window, I think. SPONSORED [****Secure your place at London's big AI meet this September**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) If you work in UK AI policy, this is the room to be in. [Civo Navigate London](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) brings 800+ leaders and builders together on September 22nd to debate the questions that matter the most: AI governance, data sovereignty, and what the next era of cloud infrastructure looks like in practice. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600\. TMI readers get in for £25 with the code ****MI25**. [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **Parliament:** MPs [question ministers](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56154?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from the new-look Cabinet Office at 9:30am. Planned questions include creating jobs in the AI industry and how the department is supporting government innovation. **Evening drinks:** Replit, Silicon Valley's answer to Loveable, holds a party [tonight to mark its London launch](https://london-launch.replit.app/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****🇺🇸 Anthropic's snub of AISI under White House pressure exposes the limit of voluntary testing frameworks. The UK's response will be to push for international agreements.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cut the queue, pick the sites URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/kao-data-spencer-lamb-data-centre-backlash/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T06:27:31.000Z Good morning, I'm off to King's Cross and later Canary Wharf for a couple of events. SPONSORED [****Secure your place at London's big AI meet this September**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) If you work in UK AI policy, this is the room to be in. [Civo Navigate London](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) brings 800+ leaders and builders together on September 22nd to debate the questions that matter the most: AI governance, data sovereignty, and what the next era of cloud infrastructure looks like in practice. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600\. TMI readers get in for £25 with the code ****MI25**. [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **Digital Me:** Top MP Chi Onwurah brings legislation [to Parliament today](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56204?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to outlaw the use of personal data by tech companies to build digital twins without people's consent. The Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will present the Personal Data (Digital Twins) Bill to the House of Commons as a Ten Minute Rule Motion, but it won't get much further without government support. Onwurah has also raised concerns about children being tracked through smart toys, apps and AI cameras. **SOFAIR, so good:** The UCL's Science of Fundamental AI Research lab (SOFAIR) has its [launch event](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sofair-launch-event-tickets-1997431967785?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at King's Cross today. At £30m, it is the biggest UK government investment in an AI lab and will develop novel architectures across statistics, mathematics, neuroscience and computer science to build alternatives to frontier models. Speakers include the lab's director David Barber and AI minister Kanishka Narayan. **Evening energy:** Narayan is also among the speakers at Fuse Energy's ["Building Abundance"](https://luma.com/q69l0zs7?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) event at its Canary Wharf offices this evening. Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho, James Wise and John Fingleton are speaking too. [****Get £40 off an annual subscription this September**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/septemberback) Since launching six months ago, The Morning Intelligence has scooped: - Details of the break-up of DSIT - Andy Burnham's tech strategy - Government announcements at London Tech Week - The revamp of the Tony Blair Institute - The departure of the CMA cloud inquiry chair There is a lot more to come and the AI agenda is going to move fast this month with Parliament back and conference season starting. ****If you'd like to be part of it, I'm offering annual individual access for £200 — a £40 discount — for anyone who joins by September 30th.** [Get the discount code → ](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/septemberback) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The push for an AI Security Bill URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-security-bill-uk-parliament-control-ai/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T06:27:42.000Z Happy Tuesday, Thanks for all the feedback on yesterday's piece. Today I pledge to [never write a power list again](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/the-21-people-shaping-the-uks-ai-path/). SPONSORED [****Secure your place at London's big AI meet this September**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) If you work in UK AI policy, this is the room to be in. [Civo Navigate London](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) brings 800+ leaders and builders together on September 22nd to debate the questions that matter the most: AI governance, data sovereignty, and what the next era of cloud infrastructure looks like in practice. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600\. TMI readers get in for £25 with the code ****MI25**. [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **Questions:** ARIA CEO Kathleen Fisher [faces questions from ](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27840?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)the Lords Science and Technology Committee at 10:15am. Expect them to cover regional R&D funding and how the research agency is delivering economic growth. **Change of mind:** Matt Cliffordresigned as ARIA chair yesterday to avoid "distraction" with his new Anthropic job. Clifford is [stepping down](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mattcliffordef%5Fits-been-a-huge-privilege-to-serve-as-the-share-7502690673893044224-PjLi/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) on November 6th, making the announcement five days after saying he would stay on, with BIST and ARIA also stating last week that [conflicts of interest could be managed](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/anthropics-uk-government-links-matt-clifford/). Secretary of State Jonny Reynolds [gave no reason for the change of mind](https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/54790/documents/304378/default/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), but as argued [last week,](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/anthropics-uk-government-links-matt-clifford/) it was a very odd look for ARIA. **New council:** A new membership body called the [UK AI Council](https://ukaic.org/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) launches today for those working in AI. It aims to "bring together the full AI ecosystem in one place". **Commons:** Labour MP Alex Sobel will put forward [a bill in Parliament today to ban](https://controlai.org/uk-asi-bill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the development of "superintelligent" AI. It's the first legislation of its type in a G7 Parliament (more below). **Back to school:** The Education Committee [speaks to unions](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/28145?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), academics and examiners on AI's impact on education from 10am. **Lift-off:** The government launches its [space strategy](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-space-strategy-will-bolster-uk-defences-against-threats-from-space?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=d06db351-468a-495b-bfcf-6feb21024862&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) this morning, pledging to invest £7.8bn by 2030\. ****In today's edition:** ****✋ The push for an AI Security Bill reaches the Commons (and the Cabinet).** ****☁️ The CMA wants the government to back UK cloud providers** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 21 people shaping the UK's AI path URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/the-21-people-shaping-the-uks-ai-path/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T06:27:06.000Z Happy Monday, I spent the weekend writing a power list of those shaping the UK's approach to AI for your delight. Why? The change of prime minister, cabinet and departments means a look at who has stayed, who has arrived and who has moved on needs a deeper dive. *\*With apologies to all those not on the list.* SPONSORED [****Secure your place at London's big AI meet this September**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) If you work in UK AI policy, this is the room to be in. [Civo Navigate London](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) brings 800+ leaders and builders together on September 22nd to debate the questions that matter the most: AI governance, data sovereignty, and what the next era of cloud infrastructure looks like in practice. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600\. TMI readers get in for £25 with the code ****MI25**. [See you there → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **Growth Day:** John Healey heads to the Midlands to give his first major speech as Chancellor where he'll set out the UK's economic ills and how the government can "turbocharge innovation". He'll announce a £150m fund through the British Business Bank to invest in "ambitious businesses" in northern England, including university spinouts. The Treasury held a roundtable for trade bodies last week asking for views on the government's economic direction. **Events:** The News Media Association hosts an event at the FT's offices from 2pm on [resetting digital competition](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-to-reset-unlocking-growth-sovereignty-through-digital-competition-tickets-1996092372018?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Speakers include the CMA's Will Hayter and Chi Onwurah. At 4pm ControlAI has a Westminster reception. The keynote is from Stuart Russell, professor of Computer Science at UC Berkeley. In a similar vein, PauseAI has a speaking event in Parliament this morning with MEP Brando Benifei who helped steer the EU's AI Act through Parliament. **In Parliament:** The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy [hears about AI and quantum's impact](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/28129?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on defence at 4:30pm. At 3:45pm, day three of the Cyber Bill's committee stage starts. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 The 21 people shaping the UK's approach to AI** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'We invent it, others deploy it' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/oxa-ceo-paul-newman-uk-robotics/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T07:42:10.000Z Happy Friday, I'm off to the pub, not yet obvs, just a bit later today. SPONSORED [****This is the room to be in**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) Data sovereignty, agentic AI, the future of cloud infrastructure — these are the defining questions of UK tech policy and they're taking centre stage at [****Civo Navigate**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) in London on Tuesday September 22nd. The event is returning to Convene, Bishopsgate, and brings together 800+ tech leaders and builders. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600, ****but readers of The Morning Intelligence can attend for just £25 using the code MI25 at checkout.** [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **In Birmingham:** Reform Party Conference continues at the NEC. Danny Kruger speaks [at 2:30pm](https://luma.com/x4k694wa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on "remaking the state". He'll also tell an IfG event at [1pm how Reform is preparing for government](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-reform-uk-party-conference-2026?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Swing by to Milltown Partners and the Startup Coalition's tech drinks at Brightsmith on the Water from 9:30pm (no RSVP needed). **Next week:** Good news if you like events. **On Monday** the News Media Association hosts an event at the FT's offices on [resetting digital competition](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-to-reset-unlocking-growth-sovereignty-through-digital-competition-tickets-1996092372018?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). That evening, ControlAI has a Westminster reception. **On Tuesday,** ARIA's boss Kathleen Fisher [gives evidence to MPs](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27840?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. **On Wednesday,** a [government-backed AI research lab](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sofair-launch-event-tickets-1997431967785?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) launches at the UCL. That evening, [Fuse Energy talks](https://luma.com/q69l0zs7?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the future of energy and AI at its offices. ***Full calendar*** [***here (for paid members)***](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/)***.*** ****In today's edition:** ****🤖 Oxa's CEO on building Britain's robotic future.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Anthropic's long Whitehall reach URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/anthropics-uk-government-links-matt-clifford/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T06:27:46.000Z Good morning, Why are so many people who helped design Britain's AI policy now working for one of the companies at the centre of that policy? My WhatsApp lit up yesterday morning with less polite responses than that to the [news Matt Clifford was taking a top job at Anthropic, while staying on as chair of ARIA](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/alan-turing-institute-sovereign-ai-paper/). For critics, it is evidence of an unhealthy amount of influence US AI firms have over the government. For defenders, it reflects the reality that government and industry must work ever closer to manage AI risks. Both can be true, but having the country's moonshot research agency chaired by Anthropic's new international influencer-in-chief is a very odd look for ARIA. Why is the government happy to put an organisation it is pouring £1 billion into in an awkward position for the sake of one man's career? It is also evidence of how Anthropic's relationship with the British state has moved well beyond that of a conventional tech supplier. I sketch out those links in today's main piece. SPONSORED [****This is the room to be in**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) Data sovereignty, agentic AI, the future of cloud infrastructure — these are the defining questions of UK tech policy and they're taking centre stage at [****Civo Navigate**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) in London on Tuesday September 22nd. The event is returning to Convene, Bishopsgate, and brings together 800+ tech leaders and builders. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600, ****but readers of The Morning Intelligence can attend for just £25 using the code MI25 at checkout.** [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **In Birmingham:** Reform's Party Conference kicks off at the NEC with "business day". More in Common [hosts a panel](https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/events/reform-uk-party-conference-programme-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on barriers to digital infrastructure investment at 12:30pm. Danny Kruger outlined the party's [AI policies in July](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/reform-uk-danny-kruger-ai-patriotic-compact-speech/) and he'll speak [at 2:30pm tomorrow](https://luma.com/x4k694wa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on "remaking the state". He'll also tell an IfG event at [1pm on Friday how Reform is preparing for government](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-reform-uk-party-conference-2026?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Parliament:** MPs get their first chance at [9:30am to question the new ministerial team](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56149?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport. The questions range from grassroots sports to frontier AI. It's [committee stage, day two,](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56361?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill in the Lords. **While you're young:** Public First has [drinks for "YoPros" in tech](https://luma.com/b0rafhqh?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). (I had to look up YoPros so I'm firmly ruled out). ****In today's edition:** ****💪 Anthropic's long reach into the British state** ****🔒 The government is looking at how to tackle AI national security risks, but rejects the Lords' ideas.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Turing's sovereignty plan URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/alan-turing-institute-sovereign-ai-paper/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T06:27:49.000Z Good morning and happy Wednesday, I'm following in the fingertips of my forebears by typing in a very sunny Fleet Street cafe. SPONSORED [****This is the room to be in**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) Data sovereignty, agentic AI, the future of cloud infrastructure — these are the defining questions of UK tech policy and they're taking centre stage at [****Civo Navigate**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) in London on Tuesday September 22nd. The event is returning to Convene, Bishopsgate, and brings together 800+ tech leaders and builders. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600, ****but readers of The Morning Intelligence can attend for just £25 using the code MI25 at checkout.** [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **Lords:** Peers will debate the [water use of new data centres](https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/ItemOfBusiness?itemOfBusinessId=175623§ionId=38&businessPaperDate=2026-09-02&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) just after 3pm with a question to the government by peer John Randall. **In Taiwan:** SEMICON, the world's biggest chip conference, starts in Taiwan and the UK Semiconductor Centre is [leading a British delegation](https://uksemicentre.org.uk/semicon-taiwan-2026?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Its CEO Andy McLean said: "We want to connect UK innovators with Taiwan’s manufacturing expertise and supply-chain depth." **Commons:** The Representation of People Bill should complete its final steps in the Commons today. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 The Alan Turing's plan to build sovereign AI by 2030** ****😮 Matt Clifford joins Anthropic to lead its international relations** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Lords draw AI red lines URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cyber-security-bill-ai-safety/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T06:27:16.000Z Happy September, and welcome back to a full fat version of The Morning Intelligence. I’ve used the downtime of August to get your favourite daily briefing into shape for its next stage — more reporting muscle at the front and a smoother operation at the back. I have three updates. (1) Thanks to your support, I’ll soon be hiring for a reporter who will improve this newsletter’s daily coverage, attend more events and chase (even!) more exclusives. (2) For paid subscribers, I’m bringing in support from today to make sure you’re getting top-tier service. Lucy Alexander starts to help with membership support, admin and better run this thing behind the scenes. (3) I’m planning several events this autumn, including webinars, a roundtable and a breakfast at iNHouse Communications. If you’d like to get involved in any of these do get in touch. Now to it. SPONSORED [****This is the room to be in**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) Data sovereignty, agentic AI, the future of cloud infrastructure — these are the defining questions of UK tech policy and they're taking centre stage at [****Civo Navigate**](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) in London on Tuesday September 22nd. The event is returning to Convene, Bishopsgate and brings together 800+ tech leaders and builders. The speaker line-up spans politics and industry — Julia Lopez MP, Lord Drayson, NVIDIA's UK director, and engineers from Google, GitLab and Qualcomm. Tickets are normally £600, ****but readers of The Morning Intelligence can attend for just £25 using the code MI25 at checkout.** [Secure your place → ](https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2026/promo?promocode=MI25&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=morning-intelligence) ## Happening Today 📆 **Stateside:** The US Department of Commerce hosts a meeting of G20 innovation ministers in North Carolina. Chris McDonald is there for the UK, while Jensen Huang and Sam Altman are among the speakers. **Lords:** Children's Commissioner Rachel de Souza gives [evidence at 2:30pm](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/28058?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Communications and Digital Committee's new inquiry on the impact of the Online Safety Act. At 3:45pm it's committee stage for the [Cyber Security and Resilience Bill](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56220?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Commons:** Cabinet meets this morning and this afternoon Andy Burnham gives a statement to the Commons about his vision for the country. *See last* [*Friday's edition for a rundown*](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-parliament-returns-tech-agenda/) *of what to follow in Parliament over the next few weeks.* ****In today's edition:** ****🛑 The Lords are trying to turn the Cyber Bill into something it was never intended for — a vehicle for AI safety laws.** ****💼 The latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Autumn Crunch URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-parliament-returns-tech-agenda/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T06:27:05.000Z Good morning, The long, hot summer is almost over and Westminster returns on Tuesday with plenty of deadlines coming up. I've got the latest intel below to help you get ahead of the pack. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Voicing concerns:** More than 80 actors have signed a letter to the government demanding greater [protection from AI voice clones](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gv5gepxnyo?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=rss&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They want legislation to give every person a legal right to own their voice. **Robo-delay:** The rollout of self-driving taxis on London's streets is unlikely to go ahead this year, [the Guardian reports](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/26/london-rollout-robotaxis-delayed-uber-wayve?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), due to delays with the DVSA and TfL. **Same here please:** Meta has agreed to a long list of restrictions for under-18s on its platforms following a settlement worth up to $17 billion in the US. They include a daily time limit of two hours which can only be lifted by a parent and a ban on displaying the number of reactions on a post. The measures only apply to the US, but the [UK wants them to be matched](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/27/uk-meta-child-safety-measures-us-social-media-instagram?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and there is overlap with some of the social media curbs being worked on here, including night-time curfews. **Bottlenecked:** A lack of competition in digital markets is holding back Britain’s ability to innovate, a report [from the IPPR argues](https://www.ippr.org/articles/bottleneck-britain?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). A third of firms polled said they had decided not to offer a product in the past two years because another company already dominated that market. **On that note:** Google has [agreed to pay £260m](https://www.ft.com/content/1d990ab8-bb28-43b6-b9bc-daeb8a32c58f?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in a class action lawsuit at the Competition Appeal Tribunal which claimed the company levied unfair charges on developers through its mobile app store. **Take me home:** Nscale has had a busy summer, reportedly targeting a $3bn valuation ahead of an IPO, and on Thursday the company announced [a deal with Anthropic](https://www.ft.com/content/0ec76ba3-5f7f-4085-88fb-acf21954bc85?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for compute at its [West Virginia site](https://www.nscale.com/press-releases/nscale-west-virginia-ai-factory?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition** ****👀 What to watch when Parliament returns next week** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK startups face EU lock-out URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-startups-face-eu-lock-out-over-cloud-ai-development-act/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T06:27:21.000Z Good morning, I'm back in Blighty and ready to ramp things up again from next week. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Block 'em:** Ministers would be able to block companies from buying tech from suppliers deemed a national security risk under [government amendments](https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/67470/documents/8691?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill published yesterday. The move is designed to stop companies with connections to hostile states selling into critical areas like energy, health and telecoms and comes after Iranian-linked hackers [shut down a small power plant.](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/22/iranian-hackers-shut-down-uk-power-plant/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **Deal:** The UK and Ukraine have signed an [AI defence partnership](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-partnership-set-to-see-the-uk-and-ukraine-develop-battle-winning-technology-as-britain-secures-access-to-ukraines-avengers-ai-labs?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=619222b3-cbc8-4bad-8299-3739e11133cf&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) which will give Britain access to Ukraine’s massive battlefield database (named the Avengers AI Labs) for training AI models. **Copy that:** Science minister Chris McDonald will have [responsibility for intellectual property](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-minister-with-responsibility-for-ip?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. His brief also includes access to finance, scale-ups and quantum. **Take it down:** Social media firms should delete posts glorifying dangerous driving, a government [minister said](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce308l1w5q5o?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=rss&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) after seven people died in a crash in Middlesbrough on Saturday. A No.10 spokesperson said Ofcom had its "full backing to take tough action". **Not the nuclear option:** Sovereign AI Unit chair James Wise has compared the public mood against data [centres to the anti-nuclear movement](https://x.com/Jameswise/status/2091518808384999587?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of the 70s, warning that if successful it would cost the country "untold sums in higher costs for a vital technology". **Too soon:** Britain's productivity is finally picking up after 18 years of stagnation, but it's too early to put that down to AI, the [Resolution Foundation](https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/the-macroeconomic-policy-outlook-q3-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) reckons. ****In today's edition:** ****🇪🇺 The UK is looking at how to respond to the EU's Cloud and AI Development Act which could bar British tech firms from European public sector contracts.** ****💼 The latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why Cohere is tripling its London bet URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/why-cohere-is-tripling-its-london-bet-aidan-gomez/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T06:27:17.000Z Good morning from the only place in France I can the internet, a supermarket cafe. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Raising:** Chip startup Fractile is in talks to raise fresh funds at a valuation of $6.5 billion, Bloomberg reports. **Info action:** The prime minister should lead a new 'information resilience' strategy, challenge digital regulators to act faster and take charge of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, Demos argues in a [report out this week](https://demos.co.uk/research/epistemic-security-information-resilience-priorities-for-2026-2029/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The document, which has been sent to No.10, includes wide-ranging recommendations to place information security at the centre of government. **Full briefs:** The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology (BIST) has published the exact responsibilities of its individual ministers. Kate Dearden will look after competition policy, Liz Lloyd has the Regulatory Innovation Office, Anas Sarwar, digital trade, while Kanishka Narayan leads on pretty much [everything AI related](https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state-minister-for-artificial-intelligence?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Narayan has also hired two SpAds; Tom Blake, who used to work for his parliamentary office will lead on policy, while Ben Craig will lead on the comms side. **Working on it:** BIST has also been tasked by the Cabinet Office to look at the economic impact of UK businesses being blocked from the latest frontier AI models, [the FT](https://www.ft.com/content/418e0159-d2d1-4432-a7b3-de0cc446ef08?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) first reported. **No ban:** The SNP has stopped short of a [data centre moratorium in Scotland](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/scottish-data-centre-moratorium/), but councils will have to instead alert Holyrood when it receives a data centre application of more than 50MW, [The Times reports](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/snp-crackdown-on-data-centre-boom-amid-fears-over-energy-use-jjn7fb5w9?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Meanwhile, a massive 180MW data centre [is being planned](https://greenwichwire.co.uk/2026/08/18/charlton-data-centre-gli-stone-foundries/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for a former industrial site in Charlton. **Congrats:** Callosum, founded by two Cambridge scientists to work on compute bottlenecks, [has raised a $100m seed round](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danyalakarca%5Fwe-are-incredibly-excited-to-announce-our-share-7496090301762220032-ELBl/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) led by Atomico with investment also coming from Plural and the Sovereign AI Unit. **And finally:** An AI receptionist is struggling to [understand Yorkshire accents](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/20/yorkshire-rotherham-ai-gp-receptionist-cannot-understand-accent?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition** ****🇨🇦 - 🇬🇧 Cohere's CEO Aidan Gomez on the UK's 'rare combination' to lead the next phase of AI** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### London’s push to shape AI URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/london-ai-jobs-taskforce-report/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T06:26:34.000Z Good morning, I'm on a campsite in deepest Normandy, but the fantastic [Eleanor Warnock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-warnock-6a671037/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is stepping in for today's briefing. She's spoken to members of Sadiq Khan's jobs taskforce to look at how London is trying to shape AI's impacts at work and how its approach differs to other cities. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Go Zone:** The [Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-than-3400-jobs-and-targeted-support-for-local-communities-to-help-tackle-the-cost-of-living-as-lanarkshire-named-latest-ai-growth-zone?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has secured £300m of funding, the government announced this morning. The investment — largely made up of a £202m guarantee from the National Wealth Fund — will mean developer DataVita can expand a data centre on the site, bring in the latest chips this year and build a second data centre. The package is backed by banks ING, ABN AMRO, Santander, the Scottish National Investment Bank and Siemens Financial Services. Dell, meanwhile, will relocate its Scottish team to the area. **Briefing:** DCMS minister Ian Murray is taking over the online harms brief and is also being tasked with misinformation work. His colleague Stephanie Peacock will look after GDS. Meanwhile, Liz Lloyd's [brief of cyber](https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--316?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), space and regulatory reform will be split across DCMS and BIST. DCMS Secretary of State Lisa Nandy pushed for the changes to bring "information ecosystems" under one roof, according to two people familiar with the thinking. **Locked out:** The government is "locking out" British startups from public sector procurement by trying to build in-house products and giving huge contracts to foreign firms, the Startup Coalition argued in [a report out yesterday](https://api.startupcoalition.io/u/2026/08/Buying-British-Innovation-Final.pdf?utm%5Fsource=substack&utm%5Fmedium=email). Founders interviewed for the report complain of endless pilots, risk aversion, too much bureaucracy and difficulties getting in front of buyers. The Startup Coalition has 16 policy recommendations but warns of a "24-month window" to fix procurement. **Get organised:** Organisers of the Geneva AI Summit — the latest of the international AI summits which started at Bletchley Park — are inviting organisations to [register pre-summit events](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=1cTjAv0n%5FkOCA5dxDQL65CEcqhWWOjRCsdpHeXysOYVUMjZZUEUzWUhYSkxQMDlCQkg1NVg2NTBYMC4u&route=shorturl&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It takes place next June and is being led by the former director-general of CERN. ****In today's edition:** ****👩‍💼 How London is trying to shape AI's impacts on work** ****💼 The latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'The EU is tricky, the UK is easier' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/scale-ai-interview-trevor-thompson-uk/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T06:27:09.000Z Good morning and happy last day of the heatwave. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Advantage, Wales:** Vantage Data Centres and neo-cloud Nebius are bringing Nvidia's latest AI [hardware to Newport](https://vantage-dc.com/news/vantage-data-centers-and-nebius-expand-uk-ai-infrastructure-with-first-deployment-in-south-wales-ai-growth-zone/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), south Wales, the first commercial announcement since the area was designated an AI Growth Zone by the government. **Gene in the bottle:** Ministers are looking at how to stop terrorists using AI to make bio-weapons by regulating AI’s use in gene synthesis, [Bloomberg reports](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-12/uk-plans-safeguards-to-stop-terrorists-using-ai-for-bioweapons?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Safe trip:** [The WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/deepminds-hassabis-pitched-ai-oversight-body-before-shake-up-e25b3f71?st=EFZSbw&reflink=article%5FcopyURL%5Fshare&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has more on Demis Hassabis' trip to the US before the DeepMind reshuffle to pitch an AI safety watchdog. Meanwhile, [several outlets](https://www.wired.com/story/the-white-house-is-going-to-expand-its-ai-policy/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) are reporting that the White House will expand its AI framework to include open models. **Lots to come:** The government's Sovereign AI Unit is finalising investments in another seven companies, its [chair James Wise said](https://www.jameswise.com/sovereign-ai-quarterly-update-3/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), bringing its portfolio to 12 firms. Those seven will be earlier stage companies than the five already announced. Of the 12 portfolio companies, 11 have a UK topco (Alphabet spinout Isomorphic Labs being the exception), Wise wrote, responding to criticism about the unit investing in firms based abroad. All have to follow UK copyright law, he added. The unit will also launch procurement challenges for startups this autumn. **New lab:** Seven ex-DeepMind researchers, led by [Jack Parker-Holder](https://jparkerholder.github.io/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), are in talks with Index to raise $500m for a new AI lab in London, [Sifted reports](https://sifted.eu/articles/index-500m-round-jack-parker-holder?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Updates:** Nvidia has released a new open model for local AI agents, [Nemotron 3.5 Lightning](https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-nemotron-3-5-lightning-delivers-fast-accurate-specialized-task-execution-for-long-running-agents/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). UK startup Locai Labs has built its latest model on it to launch Locai One, an on-prem AI appliance for companies to move their workloads in-house. Elsewhere, Quantinuum is partnering with Oracle to bring quantum computing to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). **Summer camp:** The government is [kicking off AI bootcamps](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ai-bootcamp-launched-in-north-west-to-combat-youth-unemployment?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=8ba79e4c-a08f-40ca-9bd0-82b1a286e852&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) in north-west England today, targeted at young people out of work or at risk of unemployment. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 Scale AI's MD on its UK expansion, how the US firm is navigating the sovereignty push, and Palantir.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The data centre in my backyard URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/norwich-apex-data-centre-opposition/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T06:27:21.000Z Welcome back and happy Tuesday, A local celeb and 11,000 petitioners are opposing a big (150MW) data centre near my village, but this isn't just a local story. The opposition is being organised by a national movement and mixes local concerns (traffic, environmental harm) with national and international ones (climate change, opposition to 'Big Tech'). Below, I dive into what this story tells us about the state of the AI debate. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Chip bank:** Nvidia has put together a $500 billion package to finance the AI infrastructure buildout. It has teamed up with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR to create “[compute financing platforms](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-partners-with-apollo-blackrock-blackstone-brookfield-goldman-sachs-and-kkr-to-establish-ai-compute-infrastructure-financing-platforms-to-mobilize-over-500-billion-of-third-party-capital?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)” for companies to buy its chips. **Essay wars:** Meta launched a new open-weight model yesterday and called for the US to compete with cheaper Chinese open-source rivals. Mark Zuckerberg set out [his thoughts in an essay](https://about.fb.com/news/2026/08/the-future-is-for-everyone/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Still happening:** The new AI Economics Institute, announced a month before the government changes, will remain part of The Treasury, a government spokesperson confirmed to The Morning Intelligence. **Portfolios:** Health minister **James Frith** will be responsible [for tech in the NHS](https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--298?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), the Department of Health confirmed yesterday, but the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology is still to confirm ministerial portfolios. One big update on the civil service side, however, is **Ollie Ilott** who will lead the prime minister's new AI Taskforce as director general of [AI in the Cabinet Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/people/ollie-ilott?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****🏗️ What opposition to a data centre near me says about the state of the AI debate** ****💼 The latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### More Google, less DeepMind URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/demis-hassabis-deepmind-london-to-california-move/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:27:56.000Z Good morning, I'm heading home after two weeks dodging the heat of the south. Today's edition is a whopper thanks to a busy news week. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Tell us more:** Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Chi Onwurah, has written to [three secretaries of state](https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/54605/documents/302887/default/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about a lack of detail on the breakup of DSIT. "It is vital that the government confirms the details of its plans, and which ministers will be responsible for implementing them, as soon as possible," she said. **Talent miss:** The government has [expanded its flagship visa route](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/global-talent-visa-expanded-to-attract-worlds-brightest-researchers-to-power-british-innovation?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=eb14cc0b-7a6b-485d-a4f0-3e9d224b61cd&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) for researchers, the Global Talent Scheme, to include [more than 100 companies](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukri-endorsement-employing-or-hosting-institutions-global-talent-visa/ukri-list-of-approved-research-organisations?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#c), but very few tech firms and none of the companies it is investing in through the Sovereign AI Unit are on the list. The unit has, however, launched [a careers page](https://www.sovereignai.gov.uk/portfolio-careers?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for its five portfolio companies with 67 open roles. **Rogue agents:** AISI says it will make changes to the [way it tests frontier models ](https://www.aisi.gov.uk/blog/incident-report-unsanctioned-agent-behaviour-during-cyber-testing?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)after it failed to initially detect Anthropic's Mythos 5 model going rogue on GitHub. **Count me in:** Birmingham-based software provider OneAdvanced is the latest company to join Cosine's Lumen Sovereign coalition to build a UK frontier model this year. **Hailed:** Wayve vehicles have been [granted minicab licenses by TfL](https://wayve.ai/press/wayve-uber-phv-license/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), clearing another hurdle towards self-driving taxis on London's streets. **Prove it:** The government will give extra weight in public contracts to companies who create local jobs and tackle skills shortages. The score for bringing benefits to the local community will be raised from 10 percent to 20 percent for contracts worth £5m or more, it announced this week. ****In today's edition:** ****🇺🇸 DeepMind's leadership shifts to the US after Demis Hassabis’ move** ****🗣️ Nu Quantum's CEO on why quantum needs its own path** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Backlash before the buildout URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/data-centres-uk-opposition-carbon-emissions/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T06:27:44.000Z Welcome back and happy Tuesday, Back in March, I looked at how data centres are [losing the political battle](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-data-centres-energy-battle/). Today, I’m looking at the why, including some exclusive voter polling which shows environmental concerns are causing Labour target voters to sour on AI infrastructure. The irony here is opposition to data centres is growing before the buildout has really started. We’ve got anxiety levels comparable to the US, without any of the benefits of actually hosting data centres. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Today:** The White House hosts tech companies to review a draft of its framework for voluntary testing AI models before release, the Information first reported. The framework has not been published but follows an [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/promoting-advanced-artificial-intelligence-innovation-and-security/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on June 2nd. **Lab launch:** The government's first AI Growth Lab will focus on legal services, according to a [notice published yesterday](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-ai-growth-lab-legal-services/legal-services-advisory-ai-growth-lab-overview?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will help "innovators and adopters with coordinated access to regulators". Applications are open until September 27th and [a launch webinar](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=BXCsy8EC60O0l-ZJLRst2HNj%5FcKzq5xBiAN2R0uNRg1UMFM3TVVDNE5FMVlUQVJHTTU3OTFTWjk1RS4u&route=shorturl&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is being held on August 10th. **Regulator review:** Ofcom's new chair has launched a review of the regulator to ensure it can enforce the Online Safety Act. Ian Cheshire, who took over in June, [told the FT](https://www.ft.com/content/69d55b1b-fa3f-420c-905a-6699d28a7b89?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the review would be completed in autumn and Ofcom would likely need more money. **Magic Seven:** ARIA is [restructuring how it organises its research funding](https://ariaresearch.substack.com/p/opportunity-spaces-three-years-in?utm%5Fsource=substack&publication%5Fid=1935328&post%5Fid=209611366&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=share&utm%5Fcampaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=e6fxx&triedRedirect=true), moving from "opportunity spaces" defined by programme directors, to seven pre-defined ones. **Doing great:** AI minister Kanishka Narayan says he feels "more empowered at the centre of government" following the carving up of DSIT, but urged people to look at the "quality and agency" of individuals working on AI in government rather than the structure, he told [the ETN show](https://x.com/etnshow/status/2084231736817234136?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Congrats:** London-based chip startup OLIX is now valued at $3.3 billion after raising $312m led by New York VC firm Fundomo. The government's Sovereign AI Unit was among the investors. The company is developing more energy efficient chips for inference and plans to begin manufacturing next year. ****In today's edition:** ****🏗️ Opposition to data centres is growing, particularly among progressive voters due to environmental concerns.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Incumbents are built on lock-in' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/incumbents-are-built-on-lock-in/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T06:27:30.000Z Good morning, My UK road trip is continuing and I'm now in sunny Ayrshire. Our main piece today is an interview with the co-founder of a startup called Valarian. I first came across the company last year and this month it raised $50m at Series A to expand a platform which it describes as "sovereign intelligence". On that note, two different visions for how the new government should treat 'sovereignty' are also covered in reports by the Ada Lovelace Institute and BritishAmerican Business this week. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Lacking leverage:** The UK's AI "sovereignty" push is undermined by its MOUs with large tech companies, argues a new Ada Lovelace Institute blog. Called '[Taking Back Control](https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/blog/taking-back-control/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)', it wants the government to adopt a "fast follower" strategy using cheaper open-weight models, rather than the latest frontier ones. It also calls for AISI to have statutory powers to test models pre-release. **A different view:** US tech investment in the UK should be seen as a "strategic asset" rather than a vulnerability, [trade body BritishAmerican Business](https://www.babinc.org/wp-content/uploads/UK-Tech-Sovereignty-Paper-Web.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) argues in a report just published. It also calls on the two governments to make binding commitments on data flows, regulatory alignment and international AI standards. **Us too:** Anthropic's Claude models hacked into the systems of three organisations during testing, the [company has revealed](https://www.anthropic.com/news/investigating-incidents-cybersecurity-evals?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) after a similar disclosure by OpenAI last week. **How's it going?** Eight in ten Australian teenagers are still using social media, three months after a ban because of ineffective age checks, according to a study by the [country's internet regulator](https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/early-insights-from-esafetys-comprehensive-evaluation-project?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Happening:** The EU has [launched a call to build](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip%5F26%5F1708?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) up to seven AI 'gigafactories' on the continent, backed by €10bn of public funding. **AGI by 2029?** "We have to take that issue really seriously," Andy Burnham told [Jimmy's Jobs of the Future](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXnO06QfnCM&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) podcast, when asked about AGI by 2029 and said it was one reason he created a ministerial brief for the future of work (Kate Dearden). **You've been charged:** The Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into Microsoft's subscription charges. The [CMA said](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-investigates-microsoft-over-marketing-of-subscription-plans?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) it would look at changes to Microsoft 365 plans made from January 2025. **Views wanted:** The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has opened an inquiry into the Online Safety Act's effectiveness. It will look at how Ofcom has enforced the Act and how new online harms have emerged with AI. Send [your evidence by September 7th](https://committees.parliament.uk/submission/3964/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#/evidence/3964/call-for-evidence). ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 Valarian founder Max Buchan on the company's pivot from secure messaging to AI infrastructure, vendor lock-in and the company's Series A funding.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Structure sorted, substance missing URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/andy-burnham-ai-government-start/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T06:27:22.000Z Good morning, I'm typing from a wet holiday cottage in the Lake District. Still, nice to experience rain again. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Working on it:** Cosine co-founder Yang Li has [unveiled the timeline](https://x.com/yangli%5F/status/2081723362796081615?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for the UK's first frontier AI model, with commercial launch planned for the start of next year. Li said in an interview with [this newsletter earlier in July](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cosine-co-founder-yang-li-lumen-sovereign-ai/) that the Lumen Sovereign model was being built by re-designing the training process. **Interested:** Pension providers are looking to [back the British Business Bank's](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-pension-giants-join-forces-to-unlock-1bn-to-back-britains-innovators?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=be1525b3-5ff8-4891-941b-846965e70548&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) new £1bn Scale-up fund. The fund, [first reported by The Morning Intelligence](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/london-tech-week-2026-preview/) ahead of London Tech Week, will connect institutional capital with founders and VCs. **Russian poisoning:** Foreign information warfare is entering a new phase as hostile actors (aka Russia) try to manipulate chatbots through 'LLM poisoning', according to [research from Demos](https://demos.co.uk/research/geo-for-geopolitics-what-happens-when-ai-and-information-warfare-collide/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Got your back:** Nvidia has [launched a coalition](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/open-secure-ai-alliance/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to back open source with companies including Microsoft and Palantir, amid a heightened debate over model safety. ****In today's edition:** ****🤔 A week in, Andy Burnham has restructured Whitehall around AI and pushed tech as a re-industrialisation strategy, but key details are missing.** ****💼 The latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The physical layer Whitehall forgot URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ben-peters-cogna-founder-uk-ai-policy/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T06:27:50.000Z Good morning, I'm celebrating Friday with a break from politics. Ben Peters, CEO of startup Cogna, which builds software for critical industries, tells us about applying AI to areas like utilities and manufacturing and explains why regulation right now isn't the answer, but speed and procurement are. --- ## Happening Today 📆 Not a lot, so here's our webinar from yesterday on DSIT's dissolution for those who couldn't make it. A summary of the key points is below👇. **Demotion:** Former SpAd **Tom Skinner** warned the DSIT reorganisation diluted ministerial power, with the AI minister now sitting below a Secretary of State as "first mate". He argued a unified tech department was essential because AI, quantum and semiconductors are converging technologies. **Diluted:** He said that while D-BIST will be more powerful than DSIT, its influence is "diluted" by a broader agenda. Skinner flagged teams like the **Sovereign AI Unit** would have to compete against more politically charged issues like steel and water nationalisation. The Startup Coalition’s **Dom Hallas** made a similar point but said there were potential logistical benefits, such as business finance, UKRI and the British Business Bank being in the same department. **Not all bad: Maeve Walsh**, director of the Online Safety Act Network, argued the old DSIT model failed civil society. It acted as a "single front door" for industry but was "effectively closed" to child safety, fraud and mental health advocates, she claimed. That in turn pushed online harms issues onto the Home Office, MoJ and Department of Health. She viewed online safety's shift back to DCMS as an opportunity for a reset. **Future fears: Hallas** acknowledged the new business department’s [early reassurances](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/jonny-reynolds-tech-industry-reassurance-call/), but warned that DSIT provided a "forward-looking counterbalance" to incumbent interests which could be lost. He said the Startup Coalition is making procurement its central campaign over the next 12-24 months. ****In today's edition:** ****🚨 Cogna's co-founder on how AI policy is missing critical sectors** ****🇬🇧 Lords push for a sovereign tech strategy** ****🇨🇳 AISI tests the most powerful open source model yet** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Reassured but restless URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/jonny-reynolds-tech-industry-reassurance-call/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T06:27:12.000Z Happy Thursday, almost there. We've got a webinar with **Dom Hallas, Maeve Walsh and Tom Skinner** on [the Whitehall reorg at 10am](https://luma.com/k515huyk?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They will be trying to bring some clarity to a chaotic week. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Compute chat:** TechUK holds an [event at its London HQ](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/powering-the-next-wave-frontier-compute-and-the-future-of-uk-ai-hardware.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this afternoon looking at how to power frontier compute. **Time for one more:** The Lords sit for one more day are squeezing in a debate on AI sovereignty this afternoon. Beeban Kidron is leading this one and it should last for around two hours. Full list [of speakers here](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56198?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Reminder:** From this Monday until Friday August 28th, The Morning Intelligence will publish twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, because... it's August. ****In today's edition:** ****🙋 Industry reacts to its first call with Reynolds** ****💼 The latest ministerial appointments** ****📚 Interesting things I've read this week** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Surviving the chaos URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/where-dsit-brief-goes-tech-ai-policy/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T06:27:40.000Z Welcome to... yes, it is only Wednesday. My first day covering tech policy, February 7th 2023, was also the day Rishi Sunak announced he was creating DSIT. **Abigail Morris** was made the new department's head of comms and became a big player in getting DSIT off the ground. We had the odd tetchy phone call at the time, but I'm delighted she is writing our main piece today about what the latest machinery of government changes mean for industry and policymakers. Our [**webinar at 10am tomorrow**](https://luma.com/k515huyk?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) will go into this in greater depth. --- ## Happening Today 📆 ***First a summary of the biggest Whitehall changes announced yesterday impacting AI. A comprehensive list of which parts of DSIT move where is*** [***here***](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zr2-j1KcBGBybl97ezhGVTEXX86yCp67/view?usp=sharing&ref=themorningintelligence.uk)***.*** \-There will be an **AI Taskforce** in the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (OPMC) with a prime ministerial AI adviser to "drive the Government’s overall strategy on AI". DSIT's director general for AI Ollie Ilott is tipped to move to the taskforce. The Cabinet Office will lead on AI adoption in the civil service, while **AISI** will also be housed there. \-The expanded **Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport** (DCMS) will get the **Government Digital Service**, including the **Incubator for AI**, **cyber**, as well as digital inclusion and skills, information resilience and online harms. \-The **Sovereign AI Unit** and "emerging tech" parts of DSIT go to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. \-The **Science, Innovation and Technology Committee** is likely to revert to its pre-DSIT form where it had a cross-government remit. Leader of the House of Lords Angela Smith set out the government's rationale for the moves in a [statement yesterday](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-07-21/hlws298?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). This is the key bit: > "This move recognises that technology and innovation are not separate sectors of our economy – **they are the foundation of all future industry, culture, and public service delivery**." She goes on to say that AI needs a "strategic, whole-of-government approach from the centre", hence the new AI Taskforce. "We should not see science and technology as an isolated issue," Cabinet Office minister Ruth Anderson echoed in her justification to the Lords yesterday afternoon. "By having science and AI sitting separate and away from the rest of government, it means that other departments haven't treated it in the way it should." The appointment of junior ministers also began overnight. **Kate Dearden** and **Chris McDonald** will be ministers of state in the **Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade**, while **Ian Murray** will be a minister in the **Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.** Old/new AI minister **Kanishka Narayan**, meanwhile, keeps much of his old areas of responsibilities (minus online safety), but with permission to intervene across government on in areas relating to AI. **This afternoon:** Labour peer Neil Davidson will [ask the government](https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/ItemOfBusiness?itemOfBusinessId=174539§ionId=38&businessPaperDate=2026-07-22&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about the Chinese government's call for international cooperation on AI governance. ****In today's edition:** 🆘 ****An insider's take on DSIT's short life** ****💼 London's AI Taskforce reports** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### DSIT dumped, Kanishka kept URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/dsit-scrapped-ai-minister-kanishka-narayan/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T06:27:56.000Z Happy Tuesday, I'm off to hold my new baby niece 👋, but before that, I bring you news of a (emergency?) [webinar](https://luma.com/k515huyk?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) we're holding **this Thursday at 10am** to talk through the massive changes announced by Andy Burnham's team yesterday and where they leave industry and AI policy. We'll be joined by **Dom Hallas,** of the Startup Coalition, **Maeve Walsh,** from the Online Safety Act Network, and former DSIT special adviser **Tom Skinner**. There's loads to discuss. [**Registration is open here**](https://luma.com/k515huyk?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Big news:** Mega-deals of more than £1bn are becoming a defining feature of the UK's AI boom, pushing up valuations in the first half of this year, according to data from [PitchBook](https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/q2-2026-uk-market-snapshot?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) out this morning. Isomorphic Labs' £1.5bn round was the largest in the second quarter, followed by Wayve's £945m and Ineffable Intelligence's £820m seed round. ****In today's edition:** ****🌹 DSIT carved up, Kendall out, Kanishka in — Andy Burnham kicks off with radical changes.** ****💧 The water industry warns about data centres** ****🌏 A new AI power list ranks state capabilities** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ditching DSIT URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/dsit-break-up-andy-burnham-tech/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T06:26:59.000Z Good morning and welcome back, I was going to write about the new tech secretary’s ballooning in-tray today, but we have to instead ask if there will be a tech secretary. On Friday, the FT reported “speculation” that DSIT[ would be scrapped](https://www.ft.com/content/fec8b92e-081f-469f-b1c0-576316c75def?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and on Saturday The Times cited a “Burnham ally” with the odd justification that “it’s always been a slightly chaotic department”. The Sunday Times then reported there would be a new "AI minister" at cabinet-level, but it was unclear which department they would be based in. A government official told me that while nothing was yet confirmed, splitting up DSIT between the business department and Culture, Media and Sport (a return to the pre-2023 setup) was on the cards, with an announcement expected after Burnham names his cabinet this afternoon. This would have major policy implications for tech and was widely criticised by [industry groups](https://x.com/StartupCltn/status/2078510956133441851?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Below, I'll make some sense of the chaotic weekend and what is likely to happen next. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Day One:** Andy Burnham will speak outside 10 Downing Street at around 1pm with much of the Cabinet announced this afternoon. **Look at EU:** Lib Dem peer Tim Clement-Jones is [asking ministers this afternoon](https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/ItemOfBusiness?itemOfBusinessId=172888§ionId=38&businessPaperDate=2026-07-20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about what they think of the EU's [digital sovereignty package](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-proposes-tech-sovereignty-package-strengthen-europes-digital-autonomy-and-resilience?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and a potential UK equivalent. **Summer break:** The Morning Intelligence will publish as normal until this Friday (July 24th). From Monday July 27th to Friday August 28th, it'll publish twice a week (every Tuesday and Friday). From September 1st full service resumes. ****In today's edition:** ****🤯 The new prime minister looks to break up the tech department but appoint an AI minister to cabinet.** ****👨‍💼 Latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Out-engineer, don't out-spend' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cosine-co-founder-yang-li-lumen-sovereign-ai/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T06:27:51.000Z Good morning, I'm hoping to become an uncle in a couple of hours, good luck to my sister going into hospital today! --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 Andy Burnham becomes Labour leader today and prime minister **on Monday**. His cabinet is expected to be [announced on Monday afternoon](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/andy-burnham-labour-party-appoint-mahmood-miliband-fsz0hf7bg?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The Commons is off until September 1, but the Lords keeps going for another week. [On Monday](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-07-20/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and [on Thursday](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56198?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) they'll debate UK tech sovereignty. On Thursday afternoon, techUK [hosts an event](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/powering-the-next-wave-frontier-compute-and-the-future-of-uk-ai-hardware.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) looking at how the energy grid can meet compute demands. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 Cosine's co-founder on how the startup is trying to out-engineer US hyperscalers to build a UK LLM by the end of this year.** ****🙏 Tech advisers are expected to stay in No.10 under Andy Burnham** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The AI boom not showing up in official stats URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-entrepreneurship-boom-soloprenuer/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T06:27:15.000Z Happy Thursday, sort of. It’s been a politics heavy week so today I'm stepping away from Westminster to look at how the UK is experiencing a surge in entrepreneurship helped by AI tools, especially among Gen Z. But while this boom is showing up in industry data (LinkedIn and Stripe) it is not visible in government statistics and perhaps that's why it's so far been ignored by policymakers. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Just in:** Ofcom says age checks [have significantly cut](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/age-checks-helping-make-online-experiences-safer-for-uk-children-but-job-not-done-and-tech-industry-must-act-to-strengthen-protections?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) children's access to porn, dating and social media risks, but gaps remain ahead of the under-16 social media ban. It also announced an [**investigation this morning into whether TikTok**](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/investigation-into-tiktoks-compliance-with-duties-to-protect-children-from-encountering-harmful-content-under-section-12?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is failing to protect children from harmful content and will look at the platform's age checks. **Later:** At 11am the Lords will [keep pushing the government](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55855?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) over an AI Bill, while this evening Path Founders host a [sovereign AI panel](https://luma.com/pathfo-lu84?locale=en-GB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at Google's central London office. ****In today's edition:** ****🚀 The boom in AI entrepreneurship being missed by official stats.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Rigby's renewal pitch URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/rachel-reeves-lucy-rigby-ai-mansion-house-renewal/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T06:27:19.000Z Good morning, Thanks to everyone who came to our first event yesterday. I really enjoyed it and for those with FOMO I have a detailed write-up below. Number two at The Treasury Lucy Rigby gave her take on how government views AI's role in building state capacity. Evidence for some of that came through in Rachel Reeves' Mansion House speech last night which I did *not* skip the second half of Spain-France for. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Up to bed:** Sixteen and 17-year-olds face overnight curfews on social media apps from midnight to 6am in the next stage of the government's online safety curbs [announced this morning](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-social-media-curfews-and-crackdown-on-addictive-features-to-better-protect-16-and-17-year-olds-online?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=8ce27bfd-d165-4cba-9190-0dc7cd98eef0&utm%5Fcontent=immediately). 'Addictive' features like autoplay videos and infinite scrolling will also be switched off by default for the age group, but teenagers will be able to change these default settings. The idea is to stop a cliff-edge at 16 — the age set for the social media ban, which comes into force in spring 2027\. **Packaged up:** There will also be a package of measures on AI chatbots, including mandatory breaks for under-18s and curbs on unverified mental health advice. The government will publish fresh guidance on how to use [AI safely](https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). There will be more media literacy classes at schools, and the National Curriculum will be updated to train pupils to spot disinformation. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 Lucy Rigby on AI's role in how the government 'thinks, budgets, delivers'** ****😡 A survey of entrepreneurs makes for grim reading in Whitehall** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Missing the threat URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/missing-the-threat/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T06:27:16.000Z Happy Tuesday, I'm on a very early train to our breakfast event in Westminster and looking forward to seeing some of you there. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Tonight:** Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce an AI adoption plan for financial services at her Mansion House speech. The speech will include a scheme to re-skill city workers against job disruption. The Treasury also said yesterday it would expand [the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-to-unlock-billions-in-finance-for-small-businesses--2?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=4ef0d83d-648f-482a-bdbc-a6b378d3d4f5&utm%5Fcontent=immediately), which gives a 70 percent guarantee on loans to SMEs of up to £2m. **Annual report:** Innovate UK executive chair Tom Adeyoolaand Regulatory Innovation Office chair David Willetts [speak to the](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27869?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Science, Innovation and Technology Committee from 9:30am. MPs will ask Adeyoola about his first year in the job, Innovate UK's funding and its relationship with UKRI and DSIT. Willetts will also be quizzed on his first year at RIO. **In the Lords:** UKRI boss [Ian Chapman gives evidence](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27811?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Science and Technology Committee at 10:15am. Peers will then spend the evening debating the [Cyber Security and Resilience Bill](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55949?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **More below.** **Not Happening:** The [Representation of the People Bill](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4080?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has been withdrawn from the Commons today and won't return until the autumn. **Barnsley backing:** Applications [open tomorrow](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/barnsley-tech-towns-800000-ai-skills-fund-opens-for-applications?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=44eb48db-f465-442b-925f-0c14daa765a3&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) to the government's AI Upskilling Challenge Fund to help train people in Barnsley as part of its 'Tech Town' status. ****In today's edition:** ****😠 The Lords will attack the cyber bill's AI gaps today** ****👀 DSIT releases its first studies on social media curfews and VPNs** ****⏰ Tech execs and researchers warn about the economic impact of transformative AI** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Five names, one job URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-labour-next-tech-dsit-secretary/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T06:27:26.000Z Good morning and welcome back, I've been too busy recovering from the England game to do much serious journalism this weekend, so instead you've got a 'runners and riders' list for the next tech secretary. This is based on educated guesses, rather than a briefing from an "insider" (or what someone who once bought Burnham a Pret said). The likelihood scores I give each candidate are 100 percent vibes-based. Bold, I know — judge me in a week. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Parliament:** The Lords will discuss [AI's impact on jobs](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-07-13/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at around 2:50pm. **Team Rebuild:** The Startup Coalition has [published a letter](https://www.rebuild-britain.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) calling on Andy Burnham to "Rebuild Britain" through pension, planning and procurement reforms. Signed by over 100 founders and investors, it reads: "The coming years will be critical in making or breaking Britain as a tech power... All these problems facing our ecosystem are pressing and urgent, but just as urgent are the glaring issues facing the wider economy." **Summer break:** The Morning Intelligence will publish as normal until **Friday July 24th,** but from **Monday July 27th to Friday August 28th**, I'll publish **twice a week (every Tuesday and Friday)**. My thinking is that nobody needs a niche daily newsletter in August, but equally I don't want to go silent on you for several weeks. You will still get 10 editions in August to enjoy from the beach/sweaty office and **from September 1st full service resumes**. ****In today's edition:** ****🏇 The runners and riders to be the next tech secretary** ****👨‍💼 Latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Sovereignty is not geography' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/zoom-josh-kallmer-interview-tech-sovereignty/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T06:27:14.000Z Good morning and happy Friday. SPONSORED [****Are you ready for the adoption era?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Who benefits from AI will matter more than ever under an Andy Burnham premiership, with a generational opportunity to focus on adoption and improved outcomes across the public sector. ****The PSC has thought deeply about these problems for 20 years** and is ready to help you get up to speed. ****Phil Buckley** has led digital transformation projects across the UK Space Sector, the BBC, and FCDO among others. Get in touch with him to find out how he can help your organisation adopt AI. [Contact Phil ](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 It's the final week of Parliament before the summer break and the last with Keir Starmer as prime minister. The Lords will chat [AI's impact on employment](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55782?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on **Monday afternoon** thanks to a question from Labour peer Wajid Khan. On **Tuesday morning**, it's our breakfast event with an [expert panel](https://rsvp.zkipster.com/%5F8pp068?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) plus Lucy Rigby. [MPs will quiz](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27869?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Innovate UK boss Tom Adeyoola followed by RIO chair David Willetts that morning, while the Lords' Science and Technology Committee [speaks to UKRI boss](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27811?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Ian Chapman. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is also [in the Lords that afternoon](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4035/stages?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), while the [Representation of the People Bill](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4080/stages?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) should complete its Commons' passage. **On Thursday** the Lords sits with a very [generic sounding debate on AI](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-07-16/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and then they're off until September. **Pathfounders** [hosts an evening panel](https://luma.com/pathfo-lu84?locale=en-GB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on sovereign AI opportunities for founders and investors at Google's Tottenham Court Road office. ****In today's edition:** ****🚀 Zoom's global policy chief on the NHS, UK vibes, the CMA.** ****✋ A second committee of MPs tries to stop Palantir** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Operation Keep Kendall URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/liz-kendall-wants-to-stay-uk-tech-secretary-dsit/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T06:27:20.000Z Happy Thursday, If there are many more days in Parliament like yesterday, accusations that MPs aren't taking this whole AI thing seriously might start to look shaky. One Commons committee spent two hours interviewing the tech secretary, another sat for three hours taking evidence on AI's impact on work, and a group of MPs from across the spectrum turned up to debate [AI's impact on society](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-07-08/debates/0408904B-DCE4-4DCC-9E58-5F460AB61926/SocietalImpactOfAIGovernmentPolicy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Amid all that Liz Kendall made a pitch, and got some backing, to keep her job. SPONSORED [****Are you ready for the adoption era?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Who benefits from AI will matter more than ever under an Andy Burnham premiership, with a generational opportunity to focus on adoption and improved outcomes across the public sector. ****The PSC has thought deeply about these problems for 20 years** and is ready to help you get up to speed. ****Phil Buckley** has led digital transformation projects across the UK Space Sector, the BBC, and FCDO among others. Get in touch with him to find out how he can help your organisation adopt AI. [Contact Phil ](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Lots to chat about:** Current AI launches its first chatbot today at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva. The global partnership, which is building public AI alternatives, said [Alpha Chat](https://www.aipotluck.org/chat?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) was built in seven weeks on open source components. SpaceXAI launched [Grok 4.5 yesterday](https://x.ai/news/grok-4-5?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), while GPT-5.6 is also coming later today. **Diary date:** The government plans to introduce the Regulating for Growth Bill this November — the legislation needed for AI Growth Labs — according to an [update to its Industrial Strategy](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uks-modern-industrial-strategy-year-one?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=e3d89a0c-2b0b-4dde-adcd-bb0c1c8765cf&utm%5Fcontent=immediately). It has also published a guide for businesses [on regulatory sandboxes](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-sandboxes-what-businesses-can-expect/regulatory-sandboxes-what-businesses-can-expect?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Welcome Lucy:** Chief secretary to the Treasury **Lucy Rigby** is joining The Morning Intelligence's breakfast at iNHouse on Tuesday. She will be rounding off the event about where Labour's tech policy goes next. There are a [tiny number of spaces left](https://rsvp.zkipster.com/%5F8pp068?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for paid subscribers. If your registration has been approved, you should now have an email confirming it. ****In today's edition:** ****💼Liz Kendall fights to keep her job** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Scotland's power play stalls URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/scottish-data-centre-moratorium/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T06:27:44.000Z Good morning, today I'm going deeper into data centres in Scotland. The SNP has just voted for a moratorium on new developments, despite the country barely having any data centres. Is this just about annoyed party members? No. The Scottish Government has confirmed it is looking at a temporary ban, sparking warnings from industry about investment going elsewhere. Into this mix, an industry alliance has published a report today calling for a string of reforms to fast-track data centre development. SPONSORED [****Are you ready for the adoption era?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Who benefits from AI will matter more than ever under an Andy Burnham premiership, with a generational opportunity to focus on adoption and improved outcomes across the public sector. ****The PSC has thought deeply about these problems for 20 years** and is ready to help you get up to speed. ****Phil Buckley** has led digital transformation projects across the UK Space Sector, the BBC, and FCDO among others. Get in touch with him to find out how he can help your organisation adopt AI. [Contact Phil ](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **AM:** Liz Kendall is in front of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee at [9:30am](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27775?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to answer questions on the work of DSIT. Kendall will be flanked by permanent secretary Emran Mian. **PM:** The Business and Trade Committee is spending the afternoon looking at the [impact of AI on work](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27250?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Witnesses include Martha Lane-Fox, Adam Cantwell-Corn and Anna Thomas at 2:30pm. They're followed by Phil Smith from Skills England and Julia Adamson from BCS. At 4:10pm it's the ministers' turn with Kanishka Narayan and business ministers Kate Dearden and Blair McDougall. **In between:** If that's not enough Parliament TV for one day, there is a Westminster Hall Debate [at 2:30pm](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56080?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the impact of government AI policy in society. ****In today's edition:** ****🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Scottish Government confirms it is looking at a moratorium on all new data centres — investors warn they'll look elsewhere.** ****🏗️ An industry alliances puts forward ideas to unlock AI infrastructure.** ****🔄 Liz Kendall wants to stay as tech secretary.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sovereignty without strategy URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/mps-tech-diplomacy-sovereignty-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T06:27:16.000Z Happy World Chocolate Day, SPONSORED [****Are you ready for the adoption era?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Who benefits from AI will matter more than ever under an Andy Burnham premiership, with a generational opportunity to focus on adoption and improved outcomes across the public sector. ****The PSC has thought deeply about these problems for 20 years** and is ready to help you get up to speed. ****Phil Buckley** has led digital transformation projects across the UK Space Sector, the BBC, and FCDO among others. Get in touch with him to find out how he can help your organisation adopt AI. [Contact Phil ](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Take the pledge:** The tech secretary is launching a '[Cyber Resilience Pledge](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-resilience-pledge/cyber-resilience-pledge-declaration?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)' with businesses at 10 Downing Street today. There are 60 founding companies to the pledge including Microsoft, Cloudflare, Deloitte and Vodafone. **Getting schooled:** MPs on the [Education Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27791?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) begin an inquiry into how AI is reshaping work and learning at 10am. They'll cover the impact on entry-level jobs and how AI is used by teachers. **Next Tuesday:** I'm hosting The Morning Intelligence's first event next Tuesday morning at inHouse's Westminster office. We've got an expert panel (and breakfast) looking at where Labour's tech strategy goes under Andy Burnham. Spaces are limited, but paid subscribers get priority. [**Register to join**](https://rsvp.zkipster.com/%5F8pp068?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****🤷 MPs accuse the government of lacking a strategy on sovereign AI** ****🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland looks at a ban on data centre development** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Thank you Donald URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-startups-surge-anthropic-export-ban/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T06:27:48.000Z Good morning and welcome back, I'm feeling refreshed after a weekend at a Gruffalo trail, but a bit gutted I didn't stay up for Harry. SPONSORED [****Are you ready for the adoption era?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Who benefits from AI will matter more than ever under an Andy Burnham premiership, with a generational opportunity to focus on adoption and improved outcomes across the public sector. ****The PSC has thought deeply about these problems for 20 years** and is ready to help you get up to speed. ****Phil Buckley** has led digital transformation projects across the UK Space Sector, the BBC, and FCDO among others. Get in touch with him to find out how he can help your organisation adopt AI. [Contact Phil ](https://thepsc.co.uk/page/get-the-most-out-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **London Data Week** [kicks off at City Hall](https://londondataweek.org/ldw26-events/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#the-future-of-london-runs-on-data) this afternoon and events run until Sunday. Changing work culture is the biggest lever to encourage more women to work and stay in tech, according to [the findings](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/building-a-future-tech-sector-that-works-for-everyone/outcome/building-a-future-tech-sector-that-works-for-everyone-call-for-evidence-findings?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of the **Women in Tech Taskforce** published this morning. The business department has announced a [call for evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-steps-up-action-to-protect-children-as-ai-enabled-toys-emerge?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=403a0dbf-9f69-4de1-a4f2-0a0461b5a33d&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) on the safety of children's AI toys. ****In today's edition:** ****🚫 The Anthropic switch-off has been great for some startups** ****🤑 VC funding to UK AI firms is off the charts** ****🧑‍💼 Latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### GPUs in the UK? 'It's almost impossible' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/gpus-in-the-uk-its-almost-impossible/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T06:27:54.000Z Happy Friday, First, a diary date. The Morning Intelligence is hosting its first IRL event **on Tuesday July 14th.** We're having breakfast at iNHouse's Westminster office alongside an expert panel who'll be taking your questions on **where tech policy goes under Andy Burnham**. Joining us are **Antonio Weiss**, who is advising Burnham's team on tech policy, **Vinous Ali**, from the Startup Coalition, **Carsten Jung**, who is leading work at the influential IPPR think-tank on what the government’s AI strategy should look like and **Alex Davies-Jones**, Labour MP, who was one of the first ministers to resign after the party's May election drubbing. Interested? [**Register here**](https://rsvp.zkipster.com/%5F8pp068?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** **Spaces are limited and paid subscribers get priority.** SPONSORED [****How do you get real value from AI?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****The PSC** has [the answer](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They’ve developed a framework that aligns AI tools with your organisation’s goals, rather than just individual enthusiasm. It puts your budget and talent where they’ll have the most impact and tracks exactly what is and isn’t working. ****How do they know it works?** They’ve used the framework with some of the world’s leading public sector groups who have seen [staff confidence in AI and productivity surge](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [****Find out more**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 **On Tuesday**, a committee of MPs looks at [AI in education](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27791?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and the Business and Trade Committee [quizzes **Peter Kyle**](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27711?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Australia's e-Safety Commissioner **Julie Inman Grant** speaks to parliamentarians **on Wednesday** about the country's social media curbs. The [RAISE Summit](https://tickets.raisesummit.com/2026/agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) starts in Paris, while Tech secretary **Liz Kendall** is due to [give evidence](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27775?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. AI minister **Kanishka Narayan** is among those speaking to the Business and Trade Committee's lengthy evidence session on AI and work on Wednesday afternoon. There is also a Westminster Hall Debate that day on the [impact of AI policy](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal56080?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on society. **On Thursday,** nominations open for the next Labour leader. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 DoubleWord co-founder Meryem Arik tells us where Sovereign AI Unit backing has and hasn't helped, the challenges of GPU access and how to make your own luck.** ****🌹 Is it bye-bye to 'boosterism' under Burnham?** ****⚡ The UK's latest SMR investor wants to partner with data centres** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Grow here, stay here, give back URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/reform-uk-danny-kruger-ai-patriotic-compact-speech/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T06:27:48.000Z Happy Thursday, While most of us were watching England battle through yesterday evening, [Orlando Crowcroft ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-crowcroft-515285a/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)was at a less in-demand venue for us. Yes, Reform's HQ on the 24th floor of Millbank Tower, to find out how the party's AI policy is taking shape. There is plenty to analyse and his match report is below. SPONSORED [****How do you get real value from AI?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****The PSC** has [the answer](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They’ve developed a framework that aligns AI tools with your organisation’s goals, rather than just individual enthusiasm. It puts your budget and talent where they’ll have the most impact and tracks exactly what is and isn’t working. ****How do they know it works?** They’ve used the framework with some of the world’s leading public sector groups who have seen [staff confidence in AI and productivity surge](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [****Find out more**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Power play:** A "[Sovereign AI Power Index](https://thesovereignaipowerindex.org/about?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" launches this afternoon in Parliament at the APPG AI. Created by a former SNP MP, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, it aims to set a global benchmark for measuring sovereign AI across five areas. **Evening plans:** AI science lab Boltz hosts an [event this evening](https://luma.com/dv5jgjaa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to launch two new models for molecular discovery and protein design. ****In today's edition:** ****💬 A senior Reform figure sets out the party's thinking on AI.** ****🇬🇧 The UK is breeding more 'unicorns' than almost anywhere else** ****📆 The tech secretary outlines plans for her next (last?) two weeks in the job** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Can Britain build big enough? URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/terawulf-buffalo-data-centre-uk-lessons/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T06:27:31.000Z Welcome to Wednesday, Today's briefing comes from [journalist Joe Fay ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-fay/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)who visited a huge data centre site at a former coal power station on the US-Canadian border to find out what it takes to build the mega projects the UK is aiming for with its AI Growth Zones. We can only do original reporting like this **thanks to your support,** and on that note I've updated our [subscription terms](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/subscription-terms/). The **TLDR is** **individual subs are licensed to... individuals.** If you need to add colleagues, just drop me an email or upgrade to a group licence by [logging into your](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signin) account. It costs £12.50 per seat a month. Bargain. SPONSORED [****How do you get real value from AI?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****The PSC** has [the answer](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They’ve developed a framework that aligns AI tools with your organisation’s goals, rather than just individual enthusiasm. It puts your budget and talent where they’ll have the most impact and tracks exactly what is and isn’t working. ****How do they know it works?** They’ve used the framework with some of the world’s leading public sector groups who have seen [staff confidence in AI and productivity surge](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [Find out more ](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Evening speech:** Danny Kruger, who is leading Reform's prep for a future government, will outline the party's AI policy in a speech this evening. He'll say that the UK must build more of its own capabilities to defend itself. **In Parliament:** It's [DSIT questions](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55376?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the Commons at 11:30am with online safety top of MPs' minds. Tech secretary Liz Kendall is also announcing a "Women in Research Charter" today to strengthen family leave for doctoral researchers. The **Environmental Audit Committee** continues its look at the environmental impact of [data centres at 2:30pm](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27709?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). In the Lords, there is a [question about](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55616?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the use of live facial recognition for counter-terrorism. ****In today's edition:** ****🏗️ What will it take for the UK to build mega data centres?** ****🙏 The AI minister makes a pitch to keep his job** ****🪖 The Defence Investment Plan puts millions into AI** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Burnham's silence on AI? Don't panic URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/burnhams-silence-on-ai-dont-panic/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T06:27:50.000Z Happy Tuesday, I've graduated from London cafe-hopping to an actual desk with Wifi. Hallelujah. SPONSORED [****How do you get real value from AI?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****The PSC** has [the answer](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They’ve developed a framework that aligns AI tools with your organisation’s goals, rather than just individual enthusiasm. It puts your budget and talent where they’ll have the most impact and tracks exactly what is and isn’t working. ****How do they know it works?** They’ve used the framework with some of the world’s leading public sector groups who have seen [staff confidence in AI and productivity surge](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [****Find out more**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Incoming:** The Competition and Markets Authority is expected to announce draft conduct requirements on Apple and Google's app stores this morning, alongside a call for evidence on digital wallets. The new rules will cover "steering" — moving customers away from paying through app stores to developers' sites and apps — something lobby group the Coalition for App Fairness has long asked for. The CMA's Will Hayter is [giving a speech at 9:15am](https://informaconnect.com/competition-law-digital/agenda/1/?searchInput=&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **We have a plan:** Keir Starmer will announce the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan today, which includes £5bn for drones and uncrewed systems, [the FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/95020bd5-a717-4fcf-97d4-c218e9f4d500?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Cancelled:** The Communications and Digital Committee was due to quiz Liz Kendall and Lisa Nandy at 2:30pm on AI-Copyright but the event has been removed from the parliamentary calendar. **Evening plans:** TechUK hosts its annual dinner this evening with AI minister Kanishka Narayan giving the keynote. ****In today's edition:** ****🌹 Andy Burnham didn't mention AI in his landmark speech and that's kind of the point.** ****👨‍💻 Much of workers' AI adoption is casual and gaps are emerging.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Arms Race Trap URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/the-arms-race-trap/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T06:27:56.000Z Good morning and happy half year. SPONSORED [****How do you get real value from AI?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****The PSC** has [the answer](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They’ve developed a framework that aligns AI tools with your organisation’s goals, rather than just individual enthusiasm. It puts your budget and talent where they’ll have the most impact and tracks exactly what is and isn’t working. ****How do they know it works?** They’ve used the framework with some of the world’s leading public sector groups who have seen [staff confidence in AI and productivity surge](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [****Find out more**](https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/our-appo-process-how-to-get-real-value-from-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **In Manchester:** Andy Burnham sets out his economic stall at a speech in Manchester at11:30am to deliver "good growth in every postcode" and a "No.10 in the north". It will include shifting money and powers from Whitehall to local authorities and commitments in government contracts on apprenticeships for the young. **In the Lords:** Shami Chakrabarti has a [question in the Lords at 2:30pm](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-06-29/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about "human rights and reputational risks" from public sector contracts with Palantir. ****In today's edition:** ****🌍 Top thinkers launch a call to reframe the AI arms race** ****⏸️ Does regulation actually delay AI model releases?** ****🧑‍💼 Latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### First-class research, second-class cash URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ucl-business-anne-lane-ventures-rebrand/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T06:27:10.000Z Good morning, I'm getting ready to look after an overheated two-year old. Thoughts and prayers to all affected by nursery closures. SPONSORED [****How ready are you?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Why are so many public sector organisations stuck with basic AI use cases? ****Change can be hard and exhausting but** ****The PSC provides clarity**. They have been working on the knottiest problems in public services for 20 years, from NHS reform to satellite debris in space. They’re now focusing their brainpower on how public services move from experimenting with AI tools to embedding them responsibly, at scale. ****Find out how prepared your organisation is with** [****their free self-assessment tool**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will show you how mature your AI adoption is and where to focus first. [****Find out your score**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 On **Monday** the Lords will [engage in a bit of **Palantir** bashing](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55582&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1782382359638813&usg=AOvVaw0EQhIEjn05XmpFvp3k1Tom?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), while **Andy Burnham's** speech on the economy and regional growth will be pored over for clues. On **Tuesday** tech secretary **Liz Kendall**, top civil servant **Ollie Ilott** and culture sec **Lisa Nandy** will [get asked lots of questions about AI-Copyright](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27700?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) by a Lords committee. That evening is [**techUK's annual dinner**](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/annual-dinner-2026.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with the AI minister giving the keynote. The **Competition and Markets Authority** is also expected to update its work on Apple's and Google's app stores next week. On **Wednesday**, tech ministers are in the Commons for [DSIT questions](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55376?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), while the [data centre inquiry](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9651/risks-and-opportunities-to-the-sustainability-of-data-centres-in-the-uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) I wrote about yesterday hears from the **Tony Blair Institute,** **Siemens** and climate experts. On **Thursday**, AI research company **Boltz** showcases its latest models at an [evening event in London](https://luma.com/dv5jgjaa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ***The full events calendar*** [***has been updated***](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/)***, get in touch if you've got an event you'd like mentioned.*** ****In today's edition:** ****🎓 Scoop - Why one of the country's top university spinout arms is rebranding** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Two inquiries, one problem URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-parliament-data-centre-inquiries/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T06:27:29.000Z Happy Thursday, Windows closed, blinds down, fan on. Let's go. SPONSORED [****How ready are you?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Why are so many public sector organisations stuck with basic AI use cases? ****Change can be hard and exhausting but** ****The PSC provides clarity**. They have been working on the knottiest problems in public services for 20 years, from NHS reform to satellite debris in space. They’re now focusing their brainpower on how public services move from experimenting with AI tools to embedding them responsibly, at scale. ****Find out how prepared your organisation is with** [****their free self-assessment tool**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will show you how mature your AI adoption is and where to focus first. [****Find out your score**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 Very little, other than an [Anthropic-inspired question](https://commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/106055/Html?subType=Standard&utm%5Fsource=HansardSociety#anchor-10) in the Commons and Beeban Kidron's [book launch](https://www.digital-futures-for-children.net/events/book-launch-kidron-users?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), **so cool down with my weekly reading recommendations instead...** **Sam Freedman** has [the best of the looks ](https://samf.substack.com/p/burnhams-policy-agenda)at Andy Burnham's wider policy agenda. **The** [**NYT** has a story](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/24/business/energy-environment/ai-data-centers-tesla.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to give you hope about the heat, data centres and energy. Writing [for Arguably](https://www.arguably.uk/p/britains-ai-sovereignty-is-an-illusion?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), **Martha Dacombe** looks at Britain's "shaky foundations in an AI-dominated future" and **Alys Key** [dives into the book](https://uk20.substack.com/p/anxious-generation-haidt-uk-social-media-ban) that birthed the social media ban. ****In today's edition:** ****💡 Two parliamentary inquiries examine AI's energy problem from very different angles** ****🇬🇧 The British Business Bank backs 10 new VC funds** ****📅 Plus a date for the Cyber Bill** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Beeban's next battle URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/beeban-kidron-book-users-sovereignty/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T06:27:29.000Z Good morning, and welcome to your daily dose of AI news hotter than the Central Line. SPONSORED [****How ready are you?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Why are so many public sector organisations stuck with basic AI use cases? ****Change can be hard and exhausting but** ****The PSC provides clarity**. They have been working on the knottiest problems in public services for 20 years, from NHS reform to satellite debris in space. They’re now focusing their brainpower on how public services move from experimenting with AI tools to embedding them responsibly, at scale. ****Find out how prepared your organisation is with** [****their free self-assessment tool**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will show you how mature your AI adoption is and where to focus first. [****Find out your score**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **One for the cool kids:** Stripe hosts an event with Fractile and Accel [this evening on building](https://luma.com/5gd9pgmo?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the "inference economy". **In Parliament:** The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee hears from experts at 9:30am about how devices can impact [children's brain development](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27600?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The committee also has two new members — Labour MPs Maya Ellis, who worked in local government, and Tom Collins, a former Bosch engineer, have replaced Adam Thompson and Lauren Sullivan. **Agents of change:** AI governance needs to be built into financial services tools, techUK details in a report [published this morning](https://www.techuk.org/resource/techuk-report-agents-of-change-generative-and-agentic-ai-in-financial-services-2026.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****🗣️ Campaigner and peer Beeban Kidron argues the under-16 social media ban is vulnerable, calls AI sovereignty an "unexploded bomb".** ****😠 The CMA's investigation into Microsoft gives everyone a chance to pile on.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Big on inputs, low on impact' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-tech-sector-industrial-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T06:27:08.000Z Happy Tuesday, I'm on a very early train to London but hope to escape before the heat hits for real. It's the tenth anniversary of Brexit today, but this niche newsletter is more interested in the first birthday of the [Industrial Strategy's tech sector plan](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6892104df15b237bf6610996/industrial%5Fstrategy%5Fdigital%5Fand%5Ftechnologies%5Fsector%5Fplan%5Faccessible.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). A lot of strategies get published and forgotten, but this one is meant to run to 2035 with huge aims, like creating a trillion-dollar UK tech company. It deserves a progress update as a birthday present, as well as a look at if it can survive a change of prime minister. SPONSORED [****How ready are you?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Why are so many public sector organisations stuck with basic AI use cases? ****Change can be hard and exhausting but** ****The PSC provides clarity**. They have been working on the knottiest problems in public services for 20 years, from NHS reform to satellite debris in space. They’re now focusing their brainpower on how public services move from experimenting with AI tools to embedding them responsibly, at scale. ****Find out how prepared your organisation is with** [****their free self-assessment tool**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will show you how mature your AI adoption is and where to focus first. [Take the test ](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **In Parliament:** The Lords will chat global governance frameworks for AI at around 3pm, sparked [by a question](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-06-23/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from Labour peer Simon Pitkeathley. In Westminster Hall, MPs have a [debate at 4:30pm](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55808?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the "role of Big Tech in society". **Remember the little guys:** The government wants tech platforms to give [prominence to UK news sources](https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/news-publishers-could-be-made-prominent-at-top-of-youtube-and-social-feeds/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) as a way to tackle misinfo, it outlined in its Media Green Paper published today. The News Media Association warned that must reflect the "diverse media environment" (i.e. not just the BBC). ****In today's edition:** ****🎂 The tech sector plan one year on** ****🌳 What the AI minister uses AI for** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What Andy would do differently URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/andy-burnham-tech-policy/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T06:27:12.000Z Good morning and welcome to what should be an [exciting day](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ckger03mrl0t?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Yes, I'm off to my son's sports day. Andy Burnham's path to Makerfield MP wasn't exactly littered with tech policy news, but, as he moves closer to 10 Downing Street, I'm diving into what tech policy would look like under his premiership. I promise that is not as speculative as it sounds. His team, **advised by names familiar to readers of this newsletter**, have started ringing around for ideas and there are plenty of clues already out there about how Burnham will approach AI, not least in Greater Manchester's digital blueprint. SPONSORED [****How ready are you?**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Why are so many public sector organisations stuck with basic AI use cases? ****Change can be hard and exhausting but** ****The PSC provides clarity**. They have been working on the knottiest problems in public services for 20 years, from NHS reform to satellite debris in space. They’re now focusing their brainpower on how public services move from experimenting with AI tools to embedding them responsibly, at scale. ****Find out how prepared your organisation is with** [****their free self-assessment tool**](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will show you how mature your AI adoption is and where to focus first. [Get your results ](https://thepsc.co.uk/ai-readiness-self-assessment/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 Labour Digital hosts AI minister Kanishka Narayan and General Secretary of Prospect trade union, Mike Clancy, to talk the [future of work at 4pm](https://luma.com/v4mh0qdn?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The government will [invest £50m](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-secure-critical-minerals-boosting-economic-resilience-and-cutting-reliance-on-imports?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=6715472d-271b-43e9-b432-8f86f2107ca9&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) in Britain's critical minerals strategy, it announced this morning. ****In today's edition:** ****⚒️ Scoop: Andy Burnham's team is drawing up a tech policy framework. It will look very different from Starmer's.** ****🧑‍💼 Latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### US export control, UK opportunity URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/era4-karl-havard-interview/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T06:27:10.000Z Happy Friday, I'm taking the kids to an Anglo-Saxon re-enactment this weekend. Politics next week may be just as bloodthirsty. SPONSORED [****A message from The PSC**](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) The biggest questions around AI remain unanswered. ****Who benefits? And how?** But what we do know is that ****trust and adoption are closely linked**. To build that trust we need to talk, to help people feel a sense of agency and build legitimacy for the policy changes the country needs. ****This is the time for national conversations on AI.** No politician or policymaker has all the answers, but the combined brain power of the British public might. [Find out more ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Gambling pays:** Andy Burnham took a huge leap towards 10 Downing Street in the early hours of this morning by winning the Makerfield by-election with [more than half](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3928mlyle8t?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of all votes. **The real headline of the day:** Transparency requirements on how AI is used to process personal data begin today. The changes, under the Data (Use and Access) Act, mean organisations have to explain in privacy notices how and why AI is used and how decisions made by AI can be challenged. **Next week:** Labour Digital hosts AI minister Kanishka Narayan and union boss Mike Clancy to chat the future of work on [**Monday afternoon**](https://luma.com/v4mh0qdn?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). On **Tuesday** there is a [debate in the Lords](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-06-23/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on global governance standards for AI (timely given [yesterday's reporting](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/g7-ai-lunch-keir-starmer/)). Conservative MP Mark Pritchard also has a [Westminster Hall debate](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55808?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the "Role of Big Tech in Society". Fractile, ElevenLabs and Accel are talking the [future of inference](https://luma.com/5gd9pgmo?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on **Wednesday** evening. The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee continues its look at [digital childhoods that morning](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27600?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****Be the first to know...** Paid subscribers to The Morning Intelligence were the first to get intel on the AI Hardware Plan, the AI Insights Agreement and the UK government’s deep tech fund last week. ****Get to the front of the pack with a paid subscription, starting from £12.50/month pp.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What Starmer told that G7 lunch URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/g7-ai-lunch-keir-starmer/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T06:27:58.000Z Good morning and happy by-election day to all our readers in \*checks notes\* Makerfield and Aberdeen. SPONSORED [****A message from The PSC**](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) The biggest questions around AI remain unanswered. ****Who benefits? And how?** But what we do know is that ****trust and adoption are closely linked**. To build that trust we need to talk, to help people feel a sense of agency and build legitimacy for the policy changes the country needs. ****This is the time for national conversations on AI.** No politician or policymaker has all the answers, but the combined brain power of the British public might. [Find out more ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Morning plans:** Data centre developer nLighten opens its [new Bristol site](https://www.nlighten.com/en/events-and-fairs/bristol-data-center-investment-growth-forum/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning, which will have a capacity of 10.8MW. **There's a theme:** The Times hosts its annual CEO Summit which this year has a focus on tech resilience. Sovereign AI Unit chair James Wise [calls for the UK](https://www.thetimes.com/business/ceo-summit/article/britain-sovereign-ai-capability-comment-9nr76zm85?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to create at least one "Anthropic-sized" company. **Evening Plans:** Looking for Growth talks scaling problems at [6pm in Westminster](https://luma.com/lfg-e40u?tk=fPlhMG&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **2030 Plans:** The government has updated its [scenario planning](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-scenarios-2030-helping-policymakers-plan-for-the-future-of-ai/ai-scenarios-2030-helping-policymakers-plan-for-the-future-of-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#annex-a-2030-ai-capability-trajectories) for how AI might affect society by 2030\. The five scenarios range from model capabilities stalling to rising exponentially by 2030, but all five have common themes. In every scenario, the world of work changes, the US and China are the only two countries competing at the frontier, AI drives scientific breakthroughs, but there are also far-reaching impacts on security. ****In today's edition...** ****🍽️ What Starmer told the G7 lunch of AI leaders** ****✋ We don't need any more tech strategies — do this instead** ****👣 The CMA's latest steps against Google** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Parliament's sovereignty reckoning URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-cyber-bill-ai-sovereignty-debate-anthropic/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T06:27:52.000Z Happy Wednesday, I'm back in the excellent Wi-Fi coverage area of Norwich, no seriously. SPONSORED [****A message from The PSC**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearethepsc?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) The biggest questions around AI remain unanswered. ****Who benefits? And how?** But what we do know is that ****trust and adoption are closely linked**. To build that trust we need to talk, to help people feel a sense of agency and build legitimacy for the policy changes the country needs. ****This is the time for national conversations on AI.** No politician or policymaker has all the answers, but the combined brain power of the British public might. [Find out more ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **At the G7:** The US and Europe will discuss a "trusted partner scheme" for frontier AI models today, [the FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/5962a34a-9b0a-4aac-bea7-60419f2c28c9?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), but a White House official told the [New York Post ](https://nypost.com/2026/06/16/business/trump-admin-open-to-talks-with-anthropic-over-foreigner-ban/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)there would be no "carve outs". Politicians, including Keir Starmer, are [having lunch today](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-donald-trump-anthropic-amodei-row-at-g7/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with AI CEOs including Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis and Arthur Mensch. Starmer, meanwhile, announced [a £25m investment](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-secures-major-jobs-and-energy-investment-at-g7-to-deliver-growth-and-security-at-home?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the UK by Indian tech services firm Hexaware this morning. **Future planning:** The government's in-house 'Extract' tool, which converts old planning documents into a usable format, is being rolled out to all councils in England. A second prototype, developed by Faculty and Google, which aims to halve the time it takes to process household planning applications, is also being tested in three councils. More details in [Faculty's blog](https://faculty.ai/insights/articles/how-were-building-ai-to-help-fix-the-english-planning-system?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **On the line:** Britain needs a domestic production line for its photonics scale-ups, the University of Southampton argues in a report out this morning. Market research carried out by the university’s CORNERSTONE photonics foundry makes the case for silicon photonics — which uses light-based components on silicon chips — being central to a sovereign tech strategy. **Well-timed:** The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will look at [how photonics can cut AI's energy demands](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27557/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in an evidence session at 9:30am. ****Be the first to know...** Paid subscribers to The Morning Intelligence were the first to get intel on the AI Hardware Plan, the AI Insights Agreement and the UK government’s deep tech fund last week. ****Get to the front of the pack with a paid subscription starting from £12.50/month pp.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Anthropic tees up huge data centre URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/anthropic-lines-up-teesside-data-centre-investment/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T06:27:16.000Z Good morning and welcome back, I'm cafe-hopping around central London again and can confirm Wi-Fi in Caffe Nero is weak. **Using Outlook?** Outlook made some changes last week which means this email might be ending up in your spam (cheers Microsoft). Please add my email to your Safe Senders list to make sure you keep getting this briefing. SPONSORED [****A message from The PSC**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearethepsc?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) The biggest questions around AI remain unanswered. ****Who benefits? And how?** But what we do know is that ****trust and adoption are closely linked**. To build that trust we need to talk, to help people feel a sense of agency and build legitimacy for the policy changes the country needs. ****This is the time for national conversations on AI.** No politician or policymaker has all the answers, but the combined brain power of the British public might. [****Find out more**](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Sovereignty supercharged:** TheCyber Security and Resilience Bill is back in [Parliament this afternoon](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55651?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Expect the "resilience" part to get more attention post-Anthropic switch-off as the Bill was already becoming a vehicle for sovereignty concerns. A cross-party group of [MPs have laid an amendment](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-02/0002/amend/cyber%5Fsec%5Frm%5Frep%5F0615.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to force the government to come up with a digital sovereignty strategy within 12 months. A Conservative amendment requires a register of foreign powers. Another amendment concerned with existential risks seeks "last-resort" powers for the government to "shutdown" data centres or models. **In Parliament:** MPs on the Business and Trade Committee [have three evidence sessions](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27568?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this afternoon on AI and the future of work, interviewing 11 experts ranging from Siemens to Somerset Council. **In the Lords:** Luciana Berger has a [timely question this afternoon](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-06-16/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on what assessment the government has made on the impact of online hate speech. ****In today's edition:** ****🏗️ Anthropic lines up a huge investment for a data centres campus on Teesside.** ****🔞 The social media curbs get a mixed reaction** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The sovereignty test arrives too soon URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/what-anthropic-ban-means-for-uk/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T06:27:29.000Z Happy Monday, and thanks to all the new readers who signed up last week. First some housekeeping, if I keep landing in your 'promotions' or, god forbid, 'spam' then do drag me over to your primary folder. There are two huge stories to cover today, first what the White House's move to suspend access to Anthropic's most-advanced models means for the UK. Secondly, the government announcing a social media ban. SPONSORED [****A message from The PSC**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearethepsc?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) The biggest questions around AI remain unanswered. ****Who benefits? And how?** But what we do know is that ****trust and adoption are closely linked**. To build that trust we need to talk, to help people feel a sense of agency and build legitimacy for the policy changes the country needs. ****This is the time for national conversations on AI.** No politician or policymaker has all the answers, but the combined brain power of the British public might. [Find out more ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wearethepsc%5Fai-artificialintelligence-publicservices-activity-7471120910977224705-TFHj?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Banned:** Prime minister Keir Starmer makes a speech at Downing Street at 8am outlining a ban on 10 platforms for under 16s. There will also be scrolling curfews for older teenagers and restrictions on chatbots. Tech secretary Liz Kendall will make a statement to Parliament later, but many of the finer details haven't been ironed out. **In the Alps:** The G7 summit starts in Evian, France, and leaders are expected to sign a statement for the first time about protecting children online. Top of the list will also be the U.S. export control directive which suspended access to Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models. **In Parliament:** Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo goes before a[ committee of MPs at 4pm](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27431?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with questions expected to include the use of AI across Whitehall. ****In today's edition:** ****♠️ The sovereignty test has arrived before the UK is ready** ****📵 The government rushes out a social media ban** ****🧑‍💼 Latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Arm's big bet URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/arms-will-abbey-agentic-agi-cpu/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T06:27:23.000Z Good morning, TFIF etc. I'm hoping for a more relaxing weekend than the last one. --- ## Happening Today 📆 It's the Research and Applied AI Annual Summit [(RAAIS) today](https://raais.co/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), with top speakers from DeepMind, ElevenLabs, Anthropic and Revolut. **Google DeepMind and ARIA, meanwhile,** launched a [$10m funding call](https://deepmind.google/blog/investing-in-multi-agent-ai-safety-research/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning for researchers working on agent safety. **Next week:** Expect a government announcement at the start of the week banning under-16s from some social media platforms and features, although the [full details are still being ironed out](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/social-media/article/social-media-ban-teenagers-7krd7vb0v?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **On Tuesday**: The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is [back in the Commons](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55651?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Luciana Berger has a [debate in the Lords](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55482?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the impact of online hate speech. **On Wednesday:** The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee brings in the experts to [talk low-energy compute](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27557?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **On Thursday:** Salesforce brings its [Agentforce world tour](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/events/london/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Excel and it's the Makerfield by-election. **On Friday:** All hell breaks loose depending on the result. ****In today's edition:** Arm's chief commercial officer tells us why, after 35 years, the company is moving from chip-designer to chip-maker with its first CPU, his take on "sovereignty" and whether the company still sees itself as British. [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Beautiful but delayed URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-growth-zones-delayed-design-competition/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T06:27:47.000Z Happy Thursday, I'm writing this in a nondescript Pret after a day of panel-watching. --- ## Happening Today 📆 The **AI Summit London** continues at Tobacco Dock, while a [TBI and ARIA event ](https://londontechweek.com/fringe-events-2026/london-tech-week-capturing-value-technological-revolution?&filters.date=11-Jun-2026&searchgroup=libraryentry-fringe-events-2026&ref=themorningintelligence.uk)at **One Triton Square** explores how to capture more of the fruits of the tech revolution. **In Parliament:** At 10am MPs on the Public Accounts Committee quiz top DSIT civil servants **Emran Mian and Alexandra Jones,** as well as UKRI boss **Ian Chapman and Michele Dougherty,** who chairs UKRI's Science and Technology Facilities Council. They'll be asking about investment in supercomputers and wider research infrastructure. A tender for the National Supercomputer in Edinburgh is expected shortly. The **Department of Health** announced a [£30m investment](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ai-to-speed-up-cancer-diagnosis-for-millions-of-nhs-patients?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=a141926c-f8fd-4b5b-ab3d-3136c24ea8e4&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) in AI tools this morning to speed up lung cancer diagnosis. The **Home Office** has [launched PoliceAI](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/policeai-to-speed-up-investigations-and-fight-crime?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=88d2c7ad-accb-4660-bad3-46e183acb883&utm%5Fcontent=immediately), a national centre to pilot and scale the technology, backed by £75 million of funding over three years. ****In today's edition:** ****💅 The AI minister wants data centres to look more beautiful, but a developer is blaming his department for delays** ****🤖 Cambridge gets a new supercomputer** 🔥 **The Belfast unrest exposes more online safety gaps** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What the public really thinks about AI URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/what-the-uk-public-really-thinks-about-ai/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T06:27:07.000Z Good morning and yes, it is only Wednesday. I'm off to the AI Summit in Wapping today, an area I've not had to visit since working for the tabloids once upon a time. --- ## Happening Today 📆 The [**AI Summit London**](https://london.theaisummit.com/agenda-overview/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) starts at Tobacco Dock, while [**London Tech Week**](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has its last day at Olympia. **Prince William** is making an appearance at 11am to launch the Homelessness Data Lab, a collaboration with 20 organisations to improve how data is used to prevent homelessness. At the Excel, [**Stripe Tour London** kicks off](https://stripetour.com/london?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Cash back:** Scale-ups will get visa fees of up to £25,000 reimbursed, the Chancellor will announce at an event later today. It is part of a [government package](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-concierge-service-and-visa-scheme-unveiled-to-help-britains-fastest-growing-firms-scale-and-attract-talent?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=62275486-0aca-4bc9-b1f2-b72e4ed7ef49&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) designed to support scale-ups which includes a "concierge" service run by the business department to help companies get government help from procurement to regulatory advice. **In Parliament:** The **Science, Innovation and Technology Committee** is bringing [in academics at 9:40am](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27450?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to look at evidence of digital devices impacting children's brain development. The **Environmental Audit Committee** also starts taking evidence on [data centres' energy use](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27342?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at **2:30pm**. Christina Christopoulou, from AWS, Michael Birtwistle, from the Ada Lovelace Institute and nLighten boss Dawn Childs are among those being quizzed by MPs. **Regulating for growth:** The Treasury wants regulators to be take more risks, but hasn't guided them on how to balance growth against regulating, [a report from the Public Accounts Committee](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5902/cmselect/cmpubacc/93/report.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#heading-0) published this morning finds. **P.S.** The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill was meant to return to the Commons today but that has been pushed back to June 16\. **Drinks tonight:** TechUK and IBM host London Tech Week drinks (invite-needed). ****In today's edition:** ****🗣️ A major new poll reveals 85 percent of voters want an independent AI regulator, only a fifth are excited by the technology, and they associate it with job losses.** 🦄 ****The latest from London Tech Week** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Britmaxxing' at Olympia URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-announces-ai-hardware-plan/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T06:27:08.000Z Good morning, I'm writing this late at night on a wobbly train, while trying to get a year's worth of announcements into a five-minute briefing. Apologies in advance for all the typos 😜. Today's newsletter is broken down into three parts: **London Tech Week news**, the **AI** **hardware plan** and the outcomes of the **AI Adoption Summit**. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Britmaxxing at Olympia:** Tech secretary **Liz Kendall** gives a speech to London Tech Week at 12:45pm where she'll add to yesterday's flood of announcements. Her department is internally referring to it as a "Britmaxxing" speech. ARIA's **Kathleen Fisher and Matt Clifford** chat at **10:30am** about how the research agency is targeting "real-world" impact. The Founders' Stage has sessions this morning with Wayve's **Alex Kendall**, Fuse Energy founder **Alan Chang** and Starling Bank's **Anne Boden**. CuspAI's chief executive **Chad Edwards and AI minister Kanishka Narayan** talk about how AI is transforming [materials research at **2:05pm**](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the Deep Tech Stage. **Events:** The Chancellor hosts an event at No.11 with **Enterprise Nation, Sage, Google, Block, and Dell** to celebrate UK SMEs. **Civo** launches a digital sovereignty report at an [event](https://luma.com/19jzb4ra?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this evening with shadow tech secretary Julia Lopez, OpenUK CEO Amanda Brock and Locai Labs chairman Paul Drayson. Founders Forum hosts its annual Gala Dinner tonight. **What the people think of all this:** In Parliament it's the [launch of the UK AI Compass ](https://luma.com/r2izpvhz?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)this evening showing how far the public's views on AI differ from government policy. **Jobs talk:** LinkedIn hosts a panel at [Chatham House at 11am](https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/standard-event/ai-work-and-future-global-competitiveness?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on AI's impact on the labour market. Research they're publishing today shows UK business confidence at a three-year low, but entrepreneurship is up 36 percent year-on-year as AI lowers the barriers to starting a business. Meanwhile, jobs with the highest AI exposure have ***not*** seen sharper hiring declines. ****In today's edition** ****🧭 Navigating yesterday’s policy blitz from a hardware plan to the Adoption Summit** ****🇬🇧 What I heard at London tech week** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Tech Week for the Workers URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/london-tech-week-2026-uk-government-worker-focus/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T06:27:01.000Z Happy Monday, I'm on the way to Olympia and hope to see some of you also getting lost around its vast exhibition hall. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **All eyes on west London:** Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Liz Kendall open London Tech Week at [Olympia at 9am](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They will be talking about AI skills following [yesterday's announcement](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/entry-level-jobs-support-ai-bootcamps-and-tech-training-as-government-supports-young-people-into-the-jobs-of-the-future?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=95b952c8-5a95-4ef2-8014-cc4c7d894e45&utm%5Fcontent=immediately), while Starmer will also talk about the launch of DWP's AI chatbot to help people into work and make an online safety announcement. That kicks off dozens of panels this morning, the pick of which for a more policy/political audience are **Kanishka Narayan, George Osborne, Judith Dada and Matt Harris** from HPE speaking to the **Guardian's Dan Milmo** at [10:45 am](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), followed by ARIA chair **Matt Clifford** chatting to ElevenLabs co-founder **Mati Staniszewski** [at 11:20am](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). In the afternoon all six stages of Tech Week open. Some of the listings which caught my eye were chair of the British Business Bank **Stephen Welton** talking about scaling deep tech companies [at 2:10pm](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), Innovate UK boss **Tom Adeyoola** presenting at 1:50pm on the [Founder's Stage](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), Brent Hoberman speaking to **Peter Kyle** [at 3:25pm](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and a panel on AI and energy with **Dawn Childs** [at 2:05pm](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23543553568&gbraid=0AAAAABIQHkPdgbf9cZH32Fk%5FUmE%5Fwru2o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY%5FSDjvAYY7UxaJiGf9n5f3qrceqFQsLS88oVqdAHW9bVrFz2zUEVMfkgaAscjEALw%5FwcB&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Not just great for school trips:** The government's AI Adoption Summit also starts this afternoon in the Science Museum. It's a pretty exclusive event but I've seen a draft agenda **(more on that below).** **Drinks tonight:** London Tech Week hosts a party on the South Bank, while the Startup Coalition also has drinks tonight (invite-only). Even more exclusively, the prime minister is hosting a dinner for a small group of tech leaders. ****In today's edition:** ****💼 NEETs and skills will be the government focus at Tech Week today** ****📱 Keir Starmer lines up a social media ban** ****🇬🇧 Tech Nation's annual report sees energy concerns shoot up the agenda** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Governments have AI FOMO' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/george-osborne-open-ai-job-sxsw/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T06:27:01.000Z Happy Friday, I'm off to celebrate my sister's wedding in a Suffolk pub. Today we've got **George Osborne's** talk at SXSW which **Alys Key** has covered. He talks about his job as OpenAI's chief diplomat, countries having AI FOMO and why job doomers are wrong. I've also been speaking to Stripe's head of product in the UK ahead of the company's tour arriving in London next week about how AI is changing the payments business. --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 On **Monday** Keir Starmer is due to open [London Tech Week](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). In the afternoon business leaders gather at the Science Museum for the **AI Adoption Conference**. On **Tuesday** the government's **AI Hardware Plan** is expected, while [Tech Week continues](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at the Olympia. On **Wednesday** the [AI Summit London starts at Tobacco Dock](https://london.theaisummit.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [Stripe Tour London](https://stripetour.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) also kicks off at the Excel. In Parliament, the **Cyber Security and Resilience Bill** is [back in the Commons](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55539?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is [taking evidence](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9718/neuroscience-and-digital-childhoods?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on screens and children's brain development. On **Thursday** the **AI Summit London** continues, while in Parliament DSIT bosses give [evidence on research investment](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27244?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Friday**, lie down. ****In today's edition:** **🌍 George Osborne on his new job at OpenAI** ****💰 Stripe's UK head of product on how AI is changing payments** ****🙏 The Lords really want an AI Bill** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What to expect at London Tech Week URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/london-tech-week-2026-preview/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T06:27:03.000Z Good morning, London Tech Week has become the key date in the calendar for policy and industry announcements and next week will be no different. The government will announce its AI hardware plan, launch the AI Economics Institute, host an AI Adoption Conference and is also working on a deep tech fund. I've got the latest intel on all that below. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **SXSW:** OpenAI newbie George Osborne [speaks at SXSW](https://www.sxswlondon.com/session/from-policy-to-practice-building-national-ai-capability-d7d60a78?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 4:40pm on building national AI capability. Also on the agenda is Synthesia chief executive [Victor Riparbelli](https://www.sxswlondon.com/session/your-next-colleague-might-be-an-avatar-01dcf1a2?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Give us something to legislate:** There will be a "[short debate](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55397?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" in the Lords this afternoon (around 60 to 90 minutes) about the need for a cross-sector AI Bill. The debate has been secured by Conservative peer Christopher Holmes and 19 other peers are listed to speak. DSIT minister Liz Lloyd has the unenviable job of responding for the government. ****In today's edition:** ****🧠 The latest intel on what's coming up at London Tech Week** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ditch Palantir, MPs say URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/mps-ditch-palantir-nhs-contract/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T06:27:01.000Z Good morning, today I'm going to my favourite place in Norwich, an old shoe factory. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Opting out:** Publishers will be able to opt-out of having their content used in Google’s AI search features under [changes announced](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a1f0098b95db968c8f3bdb9/Publisher%5FCR%5Ffinal%5Fdecision.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) by the Competition and Markets Authority this morning. They will have more control over whether their content is used in AI overviews and fine-tuning AI models, something news groups have long called for. Google will also have to clearly attribute publishers’ content when it is used in AI-generated search results. The new rules are the first “conduct requirements” placed on Google under the CMA's search investigation which opened last January. **Let's do it:** A vision to make the Oxford-Cambridge corridor one of the top innovation clusters in the world will be [set out today](https://www.bidwells.co.uk/insights-reports-events/creating-a-scientific-superpower-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and science minister Patrick Vallance. **First appearance:** The Sovereign AI Unit's new managing partner **Suzanne Ashman** is talking at [SXSW this morning](https://sxswlondon.com/session/the-operators-case-for-sovereign-ai-cc67d999?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with **Hannah Maden**, the co-founder of Prima Mente, one of the first companies to get backing from the unit. Other speakers today include [Wes Streeting](https://www.sxswlondon.com/session/wes-streeting-in-conversation-with-francine-lacqua-4d72526a?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), [Tim Berners-Lee](https://www.sxswlondon.com/session/meet-charlie-the-ai-that-works-for-you-not-the-platform-b8d98448?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and president of Isomorphic Labs [Max Jaderberg](https://www.sxswlondon.com/session/the-isomorphic-shift-accelerating-drug-discovery-at-digital-speed-6a1406d5?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Away from SXSW:** TechUK and Scale [host an event](https://events.scale.com/ecosystem-sovereignty-reception-london?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on building sovereign AI with investment minister Jason Stockwood. **Evening Plans:** The Fleet Street Festival of Words [ends with Tim Wu](https://www.ticketsource.com/festival-of-words-2026/tim-wu-the-age-of-extraction/2026-06-03/18:30/t-oeezzkm?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), a former adviser to Joe Biden on tech policy, talking to ex-minister Damian Collins about his latest book, The Age of Extraction. ****In today's edition:** ****😠 MPs lay into the government's digital agenda and Palantir** ****🛝 Palantir hits back, accusing them of 'playground' politics** ****👏 The Alan Turing Institute's chief scientist sets up his own AI lab** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Almost no one is prepared' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/marc-warner-ai-doc-intelligence-rising/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T06:27:31.000Z Happy Tuesday, first some local news. The Morning Intelligence is teaming up with fellow top tech newsletter [**UK 2.0**](https://uk20.substack.com/) to offer sponsorship packages. If you're interested in reaching **2,200 readers influencing AI in the UK** then do [**fill out this form**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/partner-with-us/) or send me an email and I'll ping you the details. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Just ban it:** London Mayor Sadiq Khan will call for a social media ban for under-16s at an event at SXSW at 12:15pm. Khan is speaking on a panel about the "manosphere" [and will say](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sadiq-khan-social-media-ban-under-16s-starmer-b2987454.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) a ban is the "only way to stem the harms we know are happening right now". Tech secretary Liz Kendall is also moving towards a ban after staying neutral during the consultation which closed last week. **Elsewhere at SXSW:** At 3:45pm it's the [premiere of a film](https://www.sxswlondon.com/session/intelligence-rising-707e9193?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) made by Faculty's Marc Warner that war-games how policymakers can respond to the race to AGI. (More from Marc below). Audrey Tang, Martha Lane Fox and Julia Gillard [are also speaking at various venues](https://www.sxswlondon.com/schedule?stream=Conference&track=Technology+%26+AI&startDate=2026-06-02&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **In Parliament:** The APPG on semiconductors meets today to look at how to secure a domestic chip supply for defence and national security. **Reports galore:** Tech spending in Europe will reach $1.3 trillion this year driven by AI infrastructure investment, according to data published today ahead of London Tech Week. Tech Nation will also publish a report next week showing the UK's AI industry is growing three times faster than France and twice as quickly as Germany. ****In today's edition:** ****🤔 Faculty's Marc Warner on making a film to warn about AGI** ****📲 Peter Mandelson had lots of advice for tech ministers** ****👩‍💼 Skills England outlines its response to AI jobs disruption** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK banks on next chip boom URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-semiconductor-startups/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T06:27:16.000Z Happy Monday, I'm looking forward to a day in central London with lots of coffees. Next week the government will announce an AI hardware plan. Why is there so much hope around emerging companies in this area and will this time be different for the UK? But first... --- ## Happening Today 📆 **The Andy effect:** Regional mayors will [get new powers](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regional-leaders-to-get-more-power-over-innovation-funding-to-drive-local-jobs-and-growth?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=aeb5c986-bd03-4680-8a43-c831037e4ba5&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) to invest innovation cash in their areas, the tech department announced this morning. They will be handed control of Local Innovation Partnerships money — a £500m fund to boost new industries, but not until after the next spending review in 2027\. Tech secretary Liz Kendall joins mayors in Liverpool today as the city announces two projects getting some of the local partnerships cash. **East London, actually:** London mayor Sadiq Khan opens SXSW in London today. Ministers are lining up too with culture secretary Lisa Nandy, DSIT minister Ian Murray and trade man Chris Bryant all speaking today. [Full agenda here](https://www.sxswlondon.com/schedule?stream=Conference&track=Technology+%26+AI&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Launch:** Balderton Capital has launched a ["Built in Europe" campaign](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnZQ8Y6UJ00&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning with some of the continent's best-known founders to push back against the narrative that Europe can't build world-leading tech companies. It includes founders from Wayve, ElevenLabs and Revolut. **In Parliament:** At 2:30pm Lib Dem peer Tim Clement-Jones [is asking ministers](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55417?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) if the Sovereign AI Unit and government procurement can be used to reduce public sector dependence on US hyperscalers. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 UK hardware startups prep for the AI inference boom** 🇫🇷 ****Softbank plumps for France over UK for a massive infrastructure project** ****👩‍💻 The latest job moves and vacancies** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'A perilous moment' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/nick-pickles-tools-for-humanity-questions/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T06:27:57.000Z Happy Friday, Today we've got an interview with tech policy veteran Nick Pickles. He worked at the highest levels of Twitter for a decade and then led X's global policy under Elon Musk. He is now working for a company backed by Musk's arch-rival Sam Altman on "proving humanity" online. Pickles talks about how UK tech policy is (or isn't) landing in the US, why we need to find a way to distinguish between agents and humans and the traits he's noticed working with the biggest names in tech. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Over in Paris:** Tech secretary Liz Kendall is in Paris today for a meeting of G7 digital ministers. The countries will later publish a joint declaration covering child safety online, AI adoption and AI security. A UK government insider denied a report [in Politico](https://www.politico.eu/article/us-uk-clash-with-france-over-childrens-online-safety-at-g7-meet/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that the UK was "clashing" with France by trying to "water down" how far the G7 commits to protecting children online. **Defence coaching:** BT and Small Business Britain are launching a cyber crime course [for SMEs today](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqeFurPUse4664c0QhtFP-FrBnO-sViiVSGMhKDFsJD32Ehw/viewform?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Next week:** SXSW starts across venues in London on **Monday**. Speakers include Marc Warner ([Monday](https://www.sxswlondon.com/speakers/marc-warner-70edf37c?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)), Audrey Tang ([Tuesday](https://www.sxswlondon.com/speakers/audrey-tang-c21af57c?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)). Kathleen Fisher, Tim Berners-Lee and Linda Griffin (Wednesday), George Osborne and Victor Riparbelli (Thursday). On **Wednesday**, Scale and TechUK host a "[deep dive](https://events.scale.com/ecosystem-sovereignty-reception-london?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" on UK tech sovereignty, on **Thursday** the Lords [debate AI regulation](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/ai-regulation-in-the-uk-debate-on-the-need-for-cross-sector-legislation/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****🚨 Paid subscribers have got exclusives on the Tony Blair Institute, the King's Speech, DSIT staff changes and the AI Adoption Conference in the last month. Join them with a free trial.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Entering the chat URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-economics-institute-a-new-contract-launch/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T06:27:53.000Z Good morning, I'm typing away in a Waitrose cafe just before closing time after a day looking at fields around Sutton Hoo. Today, I've got some more info on the government's AI Economics Institute which will launch at London Tech Week and a new "progressive" tech alliance, which is also launching today, urging ministers to give the Institute a much bigger mandate. In case you were actually enjoying the sunshine yesterday, today's intervention from the left comes the day after Tony Blair injected himself into the Labour leadership debate by putting forward a [very different vision](https://institute.global/insights/politics-and-governance/the-labour-party-is-playing-with-fire-over-its-future-and-the-future-of-the-country?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Data drop:** Dealroom is dropping a load of data ranking the tech scene in 325 cities and 77 [countries at 2pm](https://luma.com/i7a4yxz6?tk=zNTDNP&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Its Global Tech Ecosystem Index measures on investment, innovation and talent. London came in at number six last year, while Cambridge ranked third for the "density" of its ecosystem. **Lost gen:** The first rung of the career ladder has "thinned" meaning for "too many young people it is now simply out of reach", Alan Milburn will say in a speech at 11am at the launch of his report into youth unemployment. The former health secretary was asked by the government to investigate why almost a million 16-24 year olds are not in education, training or employment. **Tune in:** Synthesia chief executive Victor Riparbelli is among the guests on an AI-themed edition of BBC Question Time at 10:40pm in Dulwich. Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, will be representing the government. ****In today's edition:** ****🚀 A left-wing alliance urges ministers to expand the AI Economics Institute, plus a date for its London Tech Week launch.** ****🏗️ Data centre developers rank grid delays as their biggest headache** ****👌 Cambridge is doing fine** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cooling down in the Docks URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/digital-realty-innovation-lab-uk-opening/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T06:27:31.000Z Happy Wednesday and congrats to all who survived London at 35C. I've been writing about data centres for three years but have never been inside one until yesterday. I spent the morning at the opening of Digital Realty's Innovation Lab in the Docklands. It's the first of its kind in Europe and is being cooled by water from Millwall Dock next door which is then pumped back into the Thames. The US company says it plans to at least double its UK footprint on demand for AI inference. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Here's what I think:** Tony Blair has [penned an essay ](https://institute.global/insights/politics-and-governance/the-labour-party-is-playing-with-fire-over-its-future-and-the-future-of-the-country?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)arguing Britain risks becoming an "island of irrelevance" without radical change. He argues the state should be reorganised around technology and that Britain can't go back into the EU until the bloc shifts its tech policy. **Spook-y:** GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler [will say today](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g44gprnnvo?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) there is a narrowing window for the UK and its allies to stay ahead on AI with the "the ground beneath our feet" shifting. **We're on a break:** The government has until today to respond to the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into online misinfo but a decision on publishing will be made after the latest Parliament break. **Forward planning:** I've updated our planning [calendar here](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/). ****🚨 Paid subscribers have got exclusives on the Tony Blair Institute, the King's Speech, DSIT staff changes and the AI Adoption Conference in the last month. Join them with a free trial.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Lacking in energy URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-gridlock-stalls-data-centre-development/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T06:27:19.000Z Good morning and welcome back, I hope you're surviving the heat. I'm off to poke around a data centre in the Docklands, more on that tomorrow. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Closing in on a ban:** [Senior doctors](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y7r9gqp6jo?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=rss&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and Wes Streeting have both compared social media to [smoking/tobacco](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/25/social-media-should-be-treated-like-tobacco-streeting-calls-for-under-16s-ban-on-certain-platforms?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) as the government's social media and chatbot [consultation closes](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) today. Keir Starmer is expected to back a ban for under-16s, the Sun and Observer are both reporting. Meanwhile AI minister Kanishka Narayan is [in Australia](https://x.com/KanishkaNarayan/status/2059045499425210450?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to look at how their ban is working. Ministers have until July 29 to respond. Tech secretary Liz Kendall said last week they would act by the end of the year. **Get on with it:** A coalition of media and tech companies have written to ministers this morning demanding swifter enforcement of digital markets powers. Mozilla, DuckDuckGo, Epic Games, Proton, the IPPR and DMG Media are among those concerned that more than a year after the Competition and Markets Authority got new powers, remedies in mobile browsers, search and app stores haven't been implemented. They write: > "If existing market failures are not corrected now, they will be inherited by the AI era... The world is watching. The actions taken in the coming months must be ambitious and swift." ****🚨 Paid subscribers have got exclusives on the Tony Blair Institute, the King's Speech, DSIT staff changes and the AI Adoption Conference in the last month. Join them with a free trial.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Blair's institute to cut staff for AI pivot URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/tony-blair-institute-ai-overhaul-staff-redundancies/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T06:27:43.000Z Happy Friday, I'm off to cool down on a beach this weekend, but first a scoop on the Tony Blair Institute which is doubling down on its AI focus and consulting on staff redundancies. --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 Monday is a bank holiday and Parliament is off until next Monday, June 1\. The government confirmed yesterday that the **Cyber Security and Resilience Bill** will return to the [Commons on June 10](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-05-21/debates/4133CEC1-455F-4BF5-805D-E1A66AFE38B9/BusinessOfTheHouse?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). On **Tuesday** the social media and chatbot [consultation closes](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), on **Wednesday** the government should be responding to the Foreign Affairs' Committee report on [tackling misinformation](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8818/disinformation-diplomacy-how-malign-actors-are-seeking-to-undermine-democracy/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from hostile states, on **Thursday** [Dealroom drops a load of data](https://dealroom.co/tech-ecosystem-index-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on global tech ecosystems. On **Friday** tech secretary Liz Kendall is meeting G7 digital ministers in Paris. ****In today's edition:** ****♻️ The Tony Blair Institute plans redundancies as it ramps up its AI focus.** ****🪑 MPs back the government's choice of Ofcom chair** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Skills and the City URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/salesforce-new-london-ai-centre-opens/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T06:27:38.000Z Happy Thursday, I was busy cake-baking yesterday but thankfully **Alys Key** was at the opening of Salesforce's new AI centre in London for us. It is meant to help UK firms with adoption and training. The company's execs said this, rather than capital investment in data centres, is where the job opportunities lie. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Start with a ban:** MPs on the Education Committee are [calling for a ban](https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/publications/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on social media for children, in a report published this morning. They want it alongside curbs on addictive design features for under 18s. **Love, Hate:** Young people the Ada Lovelace Institute interviewed are also encouraging age-gating across social media, gaming platforms, chatbots and AI agents. They spoke to 49 young people across the UK for a [report out today](https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/evidence-and-impact/our-programmes/grown-up/i-love-it-but-i-hate-it?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) called ‘I love it, but I hate it’ who described widespread exposure to harmful content and online abuse. **And if you want a really depressing read...** Ofcom has today published a [study into children's online experiences](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/younger-phone-owners-the-rise-of-ai-and-consumption-over-creation-our-latest-look-at-uk-childrens-media-lives?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), finding the majority of children under two use screens, teenagers spend up to two days a week online, and "the offline world plays a diminishing role". **A different type of ban:** Milton Keynes MP Emily Darlington has a debate in Parliament at 1:30pm about the [censorship of women's health terms](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55392?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) online. She's going to be reading out words which have been taken down by social media companies. The Labour MP will also meet with The Eve Appeal, a gynaecological cancer charity, who will hand her a letter that they have written to Meta. **Tune in:** Responsible AI holds a [webinar at 3pm](https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/11ad6544-f9af-4593-9706-42c01ac4695f@8370cf14-16f3-4c16-b83c-724071654356?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on AI in public services with academics to talk about emerging research. ****In today's edition:** ****🇬🇧 Inside Salesforce's new London AI centre — and its bet on skills over infrastructure** ****😬 The tech secretary doesn't rule out moving closer to the EU's tech rulebook.** ****🏏 Ofcom's next chair offers to "go into bat" against 'Big Tech'** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Bans are so 2025 URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/online-safety-campaigners-push-safety-by-design/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T10:37:09.000Z Good morning, Today I'll mainly be trying to bake my wife a last-minute birthday cake. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Safely delivered:** Online safety campaigners are meeting the prime minister this afternoon to hand him a letter calling for strict safety standards to be imposed on tech platforms before they can release products to children. The Online Safety Act Network also launches a "safety by design" code in Parliament at a reception hosted by Labour MP for Worcester Tom Collins this evening. **Much more on all that below.** **In Parliament:** Serial chair **Ian Cheshire** will [be quizzed by MPs](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27248?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee at 9:30am about his suitability for the role of Ofcom chair. Tech ministers will be in the Commons at 11:30am for **DSIT questions.** MPs have [questions lined up](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55344?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on online safety, AI sovereignty and digital inclusion. **Evening plans:** Global Tech Advocates [host an event](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/global-tech-advocates-women-leading-deeptech-tickets-1984540013603?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) called Women Leading Deeptech at Vorboss' office. ****💡 In the last month paid subscribers have got exclusive intel on the King's Speech, DSIT staff changes, the tech secretary's sovereignty speech, a plan to build 40 new data centres and the AI Adoption Conference. Join them with a free trial.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Working On It URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/future-of-work-ai-adoption/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T06:27:02.000Z Good morning and happy Tuesday, There were [no jeers](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8pqd54qneo?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for giving an optimistic view on AI, but there was plenty of applause for anyone offering a skeptical take at the Making the Future Work Conference I was at yesterday. More on that below. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Work chat:** King's College London hosts [an AI Summit](https://kingsaisummit.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the future of work over the next two days. Speakers include Chi Onwurah, David Willetts and Martha Lane-Fox. **In Parliament:** The House of Lords debates the tech parts of the King's Speech [this evening](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-05-19/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). MPs had their turn yesterday and business secretary Peter Kyle [clearly enjoyed himself](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-05-18/debates/77C87774-EA39-47E5-8B20-C74B5C09B1CF/BackingBusinessToCreateEconomicGrowth?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the debate. He described the regulatory sandboxes outlined in the King's Speech as "economic growth laboratories", although one MP described a lack of AI regulation as "putting the human race at risk". The quality of the debate didn't get much better than that. ****If you'd like to read on, you can upgrade for a week for free.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Keep calm and delay everything URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/labour-leadership-crisis-tech-policy-delays/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T07:38:41.000Z Happy Monday, I spent the weekend between swimming lessons, a beach trip and never-ending housework. Today, I'm on my way to the Future of Work conference, do say hi if you're around. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Bring in the experts:** DSIT minister Patrick Vallance, the TUC's Kate Bell, Phil Smith from Skills England and Erin Young from the Institute of Directors are among the speakers at the [Making the Future Work conference](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-the-future-work-tickets-1981715770215?aff=oddtdtcreator&%5Fgl=1%2A1b0h5nc%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjI5MzQ1MDc1LjE3NzgwNjg0ODc.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzgwNjg0ODYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzgwNjg0ODYkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in central London. **In Parliament:** MPs debate the economic bills in the King's Speech, including the Regulating for Growth Bill. This afternoon DSIT minister Liz Lloyd will be asked about [protecting underwater cables](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27216?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) by the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. **In Leeds:** Andy Burnham is among the speakers at the [Great North Investment Summit](https://greatnorth.ukreiif.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at the Leeds Royal Armouries. There is limited info about the summit, but it is a great museum. **Coming up:** World model AI company Odyssey is [teasing a big announcement](https://x.com/olivercameron/status/2056117823659966629?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for 5:30pm today, which it says will show "where world models are headed". The company is one of those backed by the Sovereign AI Unit through a compute agreement. ****In today's edition:** ****🥀 What Labour's leadership crisis means for tech policy** ****🤕 A think-tank takes aim at the state of government IT systems** ****👩‍💻 A bumper edition of job moves** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Battle Lines Harden URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/tech-uk-mps-online-safety-visions/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T06:27:07.000Z Happy Friday, and what a week. I'll shortly be muting the feeds and going for a run. Today's newsletter is a bit of everything, everywhere all at once. It covers lobbying on the social media and chatbot consultation, US-China talks on AI, and the Competition and Markets Authority's move on Microsoft. But first, what to watch next week... --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Friday fun:** The [London Venture Capital Summit](https://www.londonvcnetwork.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) takes place at the Guildhall with speakers from Amadeus Capital Partners, Accel and the British Business Bank. **Deadline:** You have [one day left](https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035079-2026?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to tell DSIT how it should buy from UK AI startups. **Next Week:** DSIT minister Patrick Vallance speaks **on Monday** about AI and work at the [Making the Future Work](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-the-future-work-tickets-1981715770215?aff=oddtdtcreator&%5Fgl=1%2A1b0h5nc%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjI5MzQ1MDc1LjE3NzgwNjg0ODc.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzgwNjg0ODYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzgwNjg0ODYkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) conference. Tech secretary Liz Kendall was due to give the keynote but has pulled out due to the political chaos. In Parliament, MPs will debate the economic growth part of the King's Speech which includes the Regulating for Growth Bill. On **Tuesday and Wednesday** King's College London hosts [an AI Summit](https://kingsaisummit.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) which also looks at the future of work. The next chair of **Ofcom, Ian Cheshire**, gets [grilled by MPs](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27248?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee **on Wednesday** morning. It is also **DSIT questions** in Parliament at 11:30am. That evening Vorboss hosts an event on [Women Leading DeepTech](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/global-tech-advocates-women-leading-deeptech-tickets-1984540013603?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****🔞 TechUK and MPs put forward ideas for social media curbs** ****🇨🇳 How can the UK challenge the US-China arms race narrative?** ****🎬 The CMA moves on Microsoft's software licensing** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Growing Pains URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/kings-speech-regulating-for-growth-bill/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T06:27:03.000Z Good morning and happy Thursday, Politics is overshadowing everything this week and today will be no different, but rival leadership factions took a very brief respite to listen to the King's Speech yesterday. There was a "Regulating for Growth Bill" to create AI testbeds, which the super smart readers of this newsletter have known [about for a few days](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-growth-bill-kings-speech-ai/) thanks to last week's exclusive 😉. That was part of a wider regulatory reform package, but attention has already turned to how Keir Starmer's government can get anything done. Back in the real world, there are announcements from **Synthesia** and **London Tech Week** this morning, while **Fractile** also had big news yesterday. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Forward planning:** London Tech Week has announced the [full line-up](https://londontechweek.com/2026-agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for its Founder's Stage. There will be 20 "unicorn" founders, including **Alan Chang**, of Fuse Energy, Wayve's **Alex Kendall** and Starling Bank founder **Anne Boden**. The programme opens on Monday June 8 with **Tom Adeyoola**, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, followed by AI minister Kanishka Narayan. **Deadline day:** You have until midnight to get evidence into the Science, Innovation and Technology's inquiry [on low-energy computing](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9739/lowenergy-computing/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The MPs will be looking at how technology like silicon photonics could reduce AI's energy demands. **Evening plans:** [London-maxxers are meeting up](https://luma.com/2btezefx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) tonight. ****If you'd like to read on, you can upgrade for a week for free.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### I Got Bills URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/kings-speech-ai-growth-bill/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T06:27:17.000Z Good morning and happy Wednesday, The Morning Intelligence is looking for [some freelance talent](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tom-bristow-b2247633%5Ffreelance-journalist-alert-thanks-to-activity-7459922720768585729-RRUa?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) to help it grow. Please do send any top notch writers my way. This is only possible of course thanks to your support 🙏. Now, to another crazy day of tech/politics/policy. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Weird vibes:** Setting out the long-term priorities of your government when its survival is in doubt, is a very odd situation and will make the pageantry of today's [state opening of Parliament](https://whatson.parliament.uk/commons/2026-05-13/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) seem even more bizarre. But regardless, the government will announce up to 35 bills in the King's Speech which starts around 11:30am. **(More below)**. **Smart cookies:** TechUK [hosts the "Building a Smarter State" conference](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/building-the-smarter-state-2026/agenda.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). MP James Frith opens the day and other speakers include DSIT's Christine Bellamy and the government's chief technology officer Sonia Patel. **In China:** Donald Trump lands in Beijing later today. He'll be followed by tech execs including Tim Cook, Elon Musk and [late addition Jensen Huang](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/nvidia-ceo-joins-trumps-mission-open-up-china-2026-05-13/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****👑 What to watch in the King's Speech** ****🌱 Ideas for Labour 2.0** ****🇬🇧 The Sovereign AI Unit has a new boss** ****and a new investment** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Fallout URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/labour-elections-fallout-on-tech-policy/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T06:27:07.000Z Happy Tuesday, I'm still waiting for my "body battery" to recharge after a weekend of cycling in the Chilterns. It felt a very long way from an increasingly frenetic Westminster. Today I want to focus on the fallout of the elections. Our [live panel yesterday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7rmjnVDePs&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — with **Roa Powell from IPPR, Alexandra Porter from Labour Digital, and Antonio Weiss from The PSC** — dug into what a leftward Labour shift, a surging Reform, and a turn to Europe means for tech policy. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **In Westminster:** There is a cabinet meeting this morning and anything [could happen](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1e2n923v1lt?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) today. **Muddled:** Regulators are struggling to match the government's call for them to boost economic growth because of unclear guidance and legislative restrictions, a House of Lords Committee [finds in a report out this morning](https://drive.google.com/file/d/17WFYPiQe4TePmng0Mgxn-0Hn8CwykZn2/view?usp=sharing&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The Industry and Regulators Committee says ministers should give political cover when it wants a regulator to be more open to risk. It should also legislate through a Regulatory Reform/Growth Bill which we're expecting in [tomorrow's King's Speech](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-growth-bill-kings-speech-ai/). ****In today's edition:** ****🌀 The fallout of the political chaos on tech policy** ****👩‍💻 Where the UK ranks for automation potential** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What we've got wrong on AI and energy URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/what-weve-got-wrong-on-ai-and-energy/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T06:27:39.000Z Good morning and welcome back. The Morning Intelligence is 10 weeks old today and thanks to your early support has got off to a super start. Rather than celebrate with a hardcore tummy time session, this 10-week-older is asking if you could share with colleagues and friends to help spread the word. 🙏 --- ## Happening This Week 📆 **Monday:** Join our [expert panel this morning to discuss the fallout of Thursday's elections on tech policy](https://luma.com/od7993bx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **State of play:** Keir Starmer emerges from a [chaotic weekend](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/starmer-election-leadership-challenge-labour-latest-news-sszx97q7m?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to give a speech at 1oam which he hopes will save his job. He will pledge "hope and urgency" and to put the UK at the "heart of Europe", but Westminster's eyes are on what the potential leadership candidates do next. Alex Wickham has a [great analysis](https://x.com/alexwickham/status/2053567046122934275?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Wednesday:** Parliament is back with the [state opening](https://whatson.parliament.uk/commons/2026-05-13/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and King's Speech. As I [reported on Friday](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-growth-bill-kings-speech-ai/), one of the new pieces of legislation announced should be a "Growth Bill" for regulatory reform. Away from Parliamentary pomp, techUK [hosts the "Building a Smarter State" conference](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/building-the-smarter-state-2026/agenda.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition:** ****🔋 Fuse Energy’s Alan Chang on using AI to reinvent the energy market** ****🤔 Public views on AI hang in the balance** ****❓ How accurate are AI productivity estimates?** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ministers eye 'Growth Bill' for AI testbeds URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-growth-bill-kings-speech-ai/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T06:27:24.000Z Good morning, I'm hoping to knock off early for a weekend of cycling with friends but first there's the small matter of the electoral earthquake — I'll leave you to decide the Richter scale magnitude of today's results. **Do join** [**our online panel on Monday morning for more**](https://luma.com/od7993bx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** **Plus I have a scoop on the government looking at a 'Growth Bill' in next week's King's Speech.** --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Results, recriminations or rejoicing depending on your party.** Labour has lost around half of the council seats it was defending in England, with around a third of results in. Reform is the big winner in Labour's heartlands outside of London, but the picture, so far, isn't as dire for the party in the capital. The Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament won't declare until later today. The BBC has the [best of the live blogs](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1428pev1n0t?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****If you'd like to read on, including an exclusive about government plans for a 'Growth Bill' in next week's King's Speech, you can upgrade for a week for free.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Skills crisis vs. immigration cuts URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-skills-immigration-reforms/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T06:27:30.000Z Good morning and happy elections day to all voters. The results are going to be messy, but to help make sense of them and their impact on tech policy I’ve assembled a crack team who’ll be [answering your questions at 10am on Monday](https://luma.com/od7993bx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Our expert panel includes **Antonio Weiss,** former tech adviser to Keir Starmer**,** the Startup Coalition's **Martha Dacombe**, **Roa Powell**, from the IPPR think-tank, and **Alex Porter,** deputy chair of Labour Digital. [**Do join us**](https://luma.com/od7993bx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** The UK has huge tech skills shortages, while the government pursues two contradictory immigration policies — a more restrictive general one to reduce net migration, alongside a supposedly more relaxed one for elite tech talent. But that can't meet the country's huge skills shortages. How's it going? Journalist **Alys Key** dives in below. ****If you'd like to read on, you can upgrade for a week for free.** [Get a seven-day free trial ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Forgetting Amazon URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-chair-doug-gurr-aws-links/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T06:27:05.000Z Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Today's edition has two main stories. The first looks at how the chair of the Competition and Markets Authority failed to tell MPs that his main employer has strong links to AWS, despite repeated questions about his Amazon links. The second looks at why there has been none of the panic around GPT-5.5, which we saw with Claude Mythos, even though AISI ranks its cyber capabilities just as powerfully and it has been released to the public. --- ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🙊 The CMA chief didn't tell MPs about his AWS links** ****🛡️ OpenAI's latest model is as powerful as Claude Mythos — why hasn't it caused the same panic?** ****✊ A group of workers at Google DeepMind want to unionise** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Stop the Silicon Valley chat URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/knowledge-quarter-kings-cross-tech-cluster/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T18:36:05.000Z Happy Tuesday and welcome back to a packed edition. Silicon Valley was first mentioned in [Parliament during a debate in 1979](https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/1979-03-28/debates/d7a9aba2-f275-49de-bfaf-bb1d63f81239/IndustrialInnovationAcardReport?highlight=%22silicon%20valley%22&ref=themorningintelligence.uk#contribution-7ba90a33-316f-491f-90be-edc5f2343d2d) on how to finance industrial innovation. 47 years later, politicians still look to Silicon Valley as something to emulate. But rather than aspire to a poorly-defined place 5,500 miles away, that most of us have never visited, the UK has quietly created something that rivals the Valley in terms of innovation concentration and economic importance to a single country in a one-mile radius of King's Cross Station. I’m not going to cover how great King’s Cross is because that's been done [well](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/04/23/how-run-down-kings-cross-became-europes-tech-powerhouse/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Instead I’ll look at how so much of the country’s potential became concentrated in three square miles, how politicians and policymakers have largely ignored it and how hard it is to replicate. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Charm offensive:** OpenAI announced a "European Youth Safety Blueprint" this morning with policy suggestions for EU and UK policymakers on chatbot safety. The company also said it was giving grants to two UK groups, Parent Zone and Mental Health Innovations. **Going live:** Local elections are the big one this week. Join [our expert panel and Q&A on Monday May 11](https://luma.com/od7993bx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to chat through their impact on tech policy. Full [events calendar](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/) is here. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****👑 Lesson's from King's Cross** ****🗞️ Bank Holiday news roundup** ****👩‍💼 The latest job moves** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ARIA's plan to out-think Big Tech URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uks-aria-wants-to-out-think-big-tech/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T06:27:04.000Z Good morning and happy May 1st. The focus of my coverage this week has been on security and today's newsletter continues this theme, focusing on two sessions from the [CETaS annual showcase](https://www.eventsforce.net/turingevents/484/agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Access to yesterday's event was limited, but I have the key takeaways from the leaders of ARIA and AISI. I'll be back on Tuesday, yes it's a Bank Holiday 🌞. --- ## Happening Next Week 📆 The English local and Scottish and Welsh national elections will dominate next week's news. Apart from that the calendar is looking... quiet, so **do get in touch with anything interesting you spot.** But there are loads of podcasts to listen to with all that free time. **Matt Clifford is on Amol Rajan's** [latest podcast](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002vmm6?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) where he delivers a political pitch to "Make Britain Wealthy Again". The UK has sleepwalked into stagnation and AI is the route out, Clifford argues. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🤞 ARIA's boss on prepping for miracles and how the research org is carving out its own role in AI development.** ****🔐 The job of AI security needs to go much further than AISI, its director says**. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The next AI frontier is a security minefield URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cetas-ai-frontier-security-report/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T06:27:49.000Z Good morning and happy Thursday. Parliament has broken up which means Labour leadership jostling is in [overdrive already](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/angela-rayner-leadership-challenge-keir-starmer-wes-streeting-zdz0sppgv?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Security Play:** The bosses of ARIA and AISI are both speaking today at the [Centre for Emerging Technology and Security's annual showcase](https://www.eventsforce.net/turingevents/484/agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Adam Beaumont, interim director of the AI Security Institute gives the opening keynote at the Alan Turing Institute event at 9:30am, while ARIA's chief executive Kathleen Fisher has an afternoon Q&A. It is invite-only but I'll have a write-up in tomorrow's edition. **Report launch:** Liz Kendall is joining Cherie Blair at Intuit’s London office to launch a report from Blair's foundation on the [impact of AI](https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/research/women-entrepreneurs-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on women entrepreneurs. It is based on a global survey showing that while AI adoption has quickly scaled, deeper integration is uneven. **Listen in:** Cambridge academic Amy Orben, who advised DSIT on social media restrictions, reflects [on her experiences](https://luma.com/rurkl6it?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with policymakers at 4pm. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🛡️ How the UK can prepare for the next AI frontier** ****📚 The best stuff I've read this week** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Chips on the table URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-targets-semiconductors-with-ai-sovereignty-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T13:56:10.000Z Happy Wednesday, especially to my daughter who thinks 5:30am is an acceptable wake up time. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Risk report:** Senior financial services leaders are warning this morning of a critical gap in AI governance standards which leaves the UK exposed to systemic risks. The [research comes from Zango](https://www.zango.ai/research-the-future-of-ai-governance---compliance-in-financial-services?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative. **Skill up:** OpenAI and Enterprise Nation are bringing together 200 SMEs in London for a skills workshop. Research from OpenAI shows SMEs are saving around five hours a week with AI tools but there are large gaps across ages and sectors, with one in five SMEs not using AI at all. **It's over:** Parliament winds up today and the Children's Wellbeing Bill [finally passed the Lords yesterday](https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-04-28/debates/10561CF6-2D3B-4460-BE8A-0194D12E146C/Children%E2%80%99SWellbeingAndSchoolsBill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) after ministers agreed to Conservative peers' demands to commit to social media age restrictions for under-16s. But not all were happy with the Lib Dems and many cross-bench peers continuing to vote against the government. Parliament is back on May 13 for the state opening and King's Speech. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🍟 A bet on chips, international safety standards and a definition of sovereignty — all in one speech.** ****🇮🇳 India and the UK will work more closely on tech, the AI minister says.** ****🧑‍💼 Sadiq Khan has an AI-Jobs taskforce** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sovereign ambitions, American cash URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/liz-kendall-rusi-speech-ai-sovereignty/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T06:27:05.000Z Good morning, I'm writing this stuck somewhere in Essex on a very delayed train. Thoughts and prayers etc. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Big speech:** Liz Kendall sets out the government's approach to AI sovereignty and the UK's place in the world [at midday](https://my.rusi.org/events/tech-sovereignty-and-the-uk-in-the-world-today-with-the-rt-hon-liz-kendall-mp.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **More below.** **Progress please:** MPs will discuss the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI) at 11am in a [Westminster Hall Debate](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55258?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), organised by Labour MP Dan Aldridge. The debate comes after a visit by the Business and Trade Committee to India last month. The TSI was [signed in July 2024](https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/technology-security-initiative-tsi/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), covering AI, semiconductors and quantum, but progress has been stop-start. **Danger:** MPs on the [Education Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27175?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) will be asking about social media's dangers from 9:45am. Giving evidence is Esther Ghey mother of murdered teenager Brianna, Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, and Rani Govender from the NSPCC. Jacqueline Beauchere from Snapchat gives evidence separately at 11:30am. **On that note:** The Lords voted for a social media ban on under-16s for the fourth time yesterday (316 votes to 165), rejecting the government's approach of a consultation followed by action. The government said it had strengthened its amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill by committing to a new timeline after the consultation and "some form" of restrictions would be brought in. MPs then sent the Bill back to the Lords again late last night, but ministers are running out of time to get it through. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🇬🇧 The government sets out a vision for British AI Sovereignty** ****👉 The Conservatives outline principles which will underpin the party's tech policy** ****🇪🇺 The UK joins a European AI scheme** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What the robots need URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/techuk-robotics-strategy-call/ Last updated: 2026-04-27T06:26:12.000Z Happy Monday and welcome back, today I'll mainly be stomping around King's Cross. --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Reds and Blues:** It's the [Tech Summit](https://fabians.org.uk/event/tech-summit/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at H/Advisors' HQ in King's Cross, organised by the **Fabian Society and Bright Blue**. The keynote this morning is from shadow tech minister **Ben Spencer** at 10am, followed by City Minister **Lucy Rigby** at 2pm. Other speakers include chair of the Sovereign AI Unit **James Wise**, who is on a panel at 9am, the Lib Dems tech spokesperson **Victoria Collins** at 11:20am, while a regulation panel at 12:10pm includes **Kir Nuthi** from techUK, **Leo Ringer** from Form Ventures and **David Lawrence** from the Centre for British Progress. **Robot report:** TechUK [launches its robotics report](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/techuk-s-robotics-report-launch-event.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 3pm with an event at its St Bride Street office. **More below.** **Lots of hyphens:** Business secretary Peter Kyle is in Berlin for the [German-UK Business-Government Forum](https://grossbritannien.ahk.de/en/events/germany-uk-business-government-forum/programme?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). There is a decent tech representation with speakers from Darktrace, Vodafone and Siemens. **In Westminster:** Parliament should wind down this week ahead of the May elections, but the government still needs to get the [Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill through](https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/66061/documents/8220?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) which is being held up by a row with the Lords over a social media ban for under 16s. It is in the [Lords this afternoon](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-04-27/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and then scheduled to return to the Commons this evening if the Lords don't agree the government amendments. **Other evening plans:** The Council for Countering Disinformation discusses the impact of AI on disinfo at an [event in the Lords from 5pm](https://ccodactivity.substack.com/p/invitation-discussing-disinformation). ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🤖 The UK is great at robotic research, terrible at adoption. TechUK has some ideas to change that.** ****👀 Why a Canadian-German AI deal should be closely watched by the UK.** ****💼 Latest job moves** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Big decisions, small numbers URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/laura-gilbert-tbi-interview/ Last updated: 2026-04-26T14:10:47.000Z Happy Friday, wishing you all excellent weekends. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training on Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Next Week 📆 The Fabian Society and Bright Blue host the [Tech Summit in King's Cross](https://fabians.org.uk/event/tech-summit/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **on Monday**. It brings together Labour and Conservative politicians to talk about AI and work, regulation, capital and democracy. **On Tuesday** lunchtime tech secretary Liz Kendall will give a "landmark" [speech ](https://my.rusi.org/events/tech-sovereignty-and-the-uk-in-the-world-today-with-the-rt-hon-liz-kendall-mp.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)on AI and Britain's place in the world. **In Parliament:** The Children's Wellbeing Billis back in the Lords on **Monday** for the latest ping-pong with the Commons over a social media ban for under-16s. [The Education Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27175?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) also continues its inquiry **Tuesday** into social media and screen time. Dan Aldridge has a [Westminster Hall Debate ](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55258?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)on the UK-India Technology-Security Initiative. ****This week paid subscribers got insider intel and scoops on:** ****💬 Liz Kendall's upcoming speech** ****🚪 The departure of a DSIT special adviser** ****📆 The government's AI Adoption Summit** ****You can join them from £12.50 per person a month with a group subscription, or £20 a month as an individual.** [Learn more and upgrade ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK cloud firm plans 40 data centres URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-cloud-firm-civo-plans-40-data-centres/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T11:34:02.000Z Good morning, I've spent so long sorting out my wife's Vinted parcels that I'm writing this way too late, but I promise you it's a good one. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training on Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **AI shield:** The [CyberUK conference](https://www.cyberuk.uk/2026/full%5Fagenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) concludes in Glasgow with speakers including Ofcom's Natalie Black and DSIT's Rod Latham. The event has produced plenty of headlines so far coming two weeks after the limited release of Claude Mythos. Security Minister Dan Jarvis [said yesterday](https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641790/UK-to-build-national-cyber-shield-to-protect-against-AI-cyber-threats?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the UK needed to work with AI companies to build a "national cyber shield". [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/22/32-year-old-wunderkind-preparing-britain-ai-attack/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), meanwhile, has a profile of No.10 AI adviser Jade Leung, focusing on her security work. **Topic *du jour*:** The first 'Londonmaxxing' meet-up is happening at [Ramen Space in Dalston](https://luma.com/ne16ot2y?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from 6pm. You can get yourself in the mood by [listening to this podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD3UtHVr99o&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with Matt Clifford and Ian Hogarth about how the UK can "win" at AI over the next 25 years. **Stargate 2.0:** OpenAI may have cancelled the "Stargate UK" project before it had barely begun, but the AI Growth Zone at Cobalt Park, near Newcastle, where part of Stargate was meant to be based, is in touch with "alternative customers", AI minister Kanishka Narayan has said. "The AI Growth Zones programme is not contingent on any single investor," he [wrote to regular pen pal Chi Onwurah](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-04-13/126560?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🏗️ A UK cloud firm bets on an alternative approach to hyperscale data centres.** ****🟨 The Lib Dems' AI manifesto — it is actually quite radical.** ****😞 Skills England defends funding AI courses for £25 an hour.** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Adopt or be damned URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-adoption-summit/ Last updated: 2026-04-22T06:27:03.000Z Welcome to Wednesday and happy Earth Day. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training on Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **Events:** The [**AWS Summit**](https://aws.amazon.com/events/summits/london/agenda/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) takes place at Excel London. The company has published research this morning on AI adoption in the UK **(more below)**. The **Lib Dems launch a 'Liberal Vision for AI'** at an [event at The Shard](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/everyday-ai-report-launch-a-liberal-vision-for-ai-tickets-1983608211558?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep%5Ftld=true&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this evening. The party's tech spokesperson Victoria Collins will be on a panel along with peer Tim Clement-Jones, Professor Gina Neff and Tim Flagg from UKAI. **In Glasgow:** Security minister Dan Jarvis will tell the [CyberUK conference in Glasgow today](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy41zejp9pko?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=rss&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that AI companies should work with the government on the "generational endeavour" of making sure the technology is used to protect critical networks from attackers. **In Westminster:** Bills continue their back and forth with the government in a bind over how to get the **Children's Wellbeing Bill** through the Lords when there is so much support for a social media ban. That, and the Crime and Policing Bill, are both in the Commons today. MPs on the **Science, Innovation and Technology Committee** quiz [incoming UKRI chair](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27088?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz. The **Business and Trade sub-Committee** [opens an inquiry](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27108?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) into the country's economic security, looking at **critical minerals**. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🇬🇧 The UK's AI Adoption Summit is scheduled for June — the latest AWS research has some tips.** ****🤝 One of the tech secretary's key advisers leaves** ****⚠️ The Iran War has increased the UK's need to build sovereign tech capabilities** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Where did the tech-optimistic MPs go? URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/labour-tech-optimistic-mps-go/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T06:27:37.000Z Good morning, and best of luck to anyone facing today's Tube Strike. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training on Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **The big question:** How to get Britain growing? Politicians from Rachel Reeves to the Green Party's Adrian Ramsay will be giving their views at the [National Growth Debate](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/goodgrowthfoundation/2041643?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in Westminster. **Ban chat:** [MPs on the Education Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27082?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) will ask reps from **Meta, TikTok, Snap and Roblox** about the potential harms to children from algorithms, addictive features and exposure to online abuse. They'll also be asking for views on a potential ban on social media for under-16s and the alternatives. **On that note:** The Lords once again comfortably outvoted the government in favour of a social media ban for [under 16s yesterday afternoon](https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-04-20/debates/1B038239-6D09-4A8C-9D54-40857FB5EA71/Children%E2%80%99SWellbeingAndSchoolsBill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Amendments by Lord Nash to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill passed by 284 votes to 158\. It means the Bill will continue "ping pong" between the Lords and the Commons. The government will, however, ban phones in schools following a last-minute change to the Bill. Until now, ministers have insisted that guidance was enough. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🥀 Where did Labour's tech-optimistic MPs go?** ****🚫 UK tech execs are preparing "exit strategies" in case their AI provider restricts access** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Win at AI and influence people URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/win-at-ai-and-influence-people/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T06:27:52.000Z Happy Monday and welcome back. I hope you all had excellent weekends. I was back in Cromer, watching my wife run very far but with [none of these robots ](https://www.reuters.com/sports/humanoid-robots-race-past-humans-beijing-half-marathon-showing-rapid-advances-2026-04-19/?utm%5Fsource=Sailthru&utm%5Fmedium=Newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=Technology-Roundup&utm%5Fterm=041926&lctg=62724e64819bea967b0ab9e1)around. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training on Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening This Week 📆 **Double bill:** The Crime and Policing Bill and the Children's Wellbeing Bill are both back in Parliament today as the government seeks to get them through before this parliamentary session ends next week. MPs again rejected a social media ban in the Children's Wellbeing Bill last week, and the government will be asking peers to do the same this evening. **On Tuesday** reps from **TikTok, Meta, SnapChat and Roblox** will talk to MPs on the [Education Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27082?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about the impact of social media and screentime on children. The **Good Growth Foundation** hosts a '[National Growth Debate](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/goodgrowthfoundation/2041643?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)' in Westminster, with speeches from Rachel Reeves, Darren Jones and Mel Stride, but Westminster's eyes will be on the [Foreign Affairs Committee at 10:30am](https://whatson.parliament.uk/committees/2026-04-21/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) where Olly Robbins — the senior civil servant Keir Starmer has blamed for the latest Peter Mandelson scandal — gives evidence. Tech secretary Liz Kendall had the thankless task of [defending her boss](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80m2z42pr1o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on yesterday's broadcast round. The [AWS Summit](https://aws.amazon.com/events/summits/london/agenda/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) starts on **Wednesday**, while the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will hold a [pre-appointment hearing](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27088/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with the government’s preferred candidate for UKRI chair, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz. In the evening, the Lib Dems will launch a '[**Liberal Vision for AI**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/everyday-ai-report-launch-a-liberal-vision-for-ai-tickets-1983608211558?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep%5Ftld=true&ref=themorningintelligence.uk)'. On **Thursday evening** there's the first '[Londonmaxxing Meetup'](https://luma.com/ne16ot2y?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). [***Full calendar here.***](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/) ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🌍 The UK wants AI to be a global play, expect more from Kendall next week.** ****🌱 An 'AI for Growth' Alliance launches** ****😬 Claude Mythos is coming to the UK this week** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Last night in Camden URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/sovereign-ai-unit-makes-first-investments/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T06:27:41.000Z Good morning, I'm typing away on a late train back from the Sovereign AI Unit's launch. The last time I had a drink in Camden (almost 20 years ago) I got an eyebrow piercing. This time it was only one glass and no piercings, but still fun. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **See you at 10:** Join our [online panel and Q&A at 10am](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for more on the Sovereign AI Unit and its launch event last night. **Open for business:** The Startup Coalition released a report this morning covering how open source has moved from niche policy to a geo-strategic play. It has a host of recommendations for government from funding to procurement. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🚗 What we learned at the Sovereign AI Unit's launch last night** ****✋ The Lords kill off rival chatbot regulation plans** ****☺️ A government cybersecurity expert played down panic about Claude Mythos** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The £500m bet on Britain's future URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-sovereign-ai-unit-launch/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T06:27:53.000Z Good morning, I'll be floating around events in central London today. Hope to see some of you there. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **Happy Launch Day:** The Sovereign AI Unit will unveil its first investments at Wayve's HQ in Camden. Our [webinar on Friday morning](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) will have the lowdown from the evening. (More below). **Talking tough:** The Prime Minister is meeting social media companies [in Downing Street](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-calls-social-media-companies-into-downing-street?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=3ffc0150-d7fd-4f11-b72a-29314bb24b7d&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) and will tell them “looking the other way is not an option” on children's online safety. Senior leaders from Meta, Snap, Google, TikTok and X are all attending the meeting with the PM and tech secretary. Meanwhile, MPs last night voted to overturn a Lords amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which aimed to ban social media for under-16s. They [voted 256 to 150](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-04-15/debates/49A31409-D5C7-41BE-8E61-090B573A3113/Children%E2%80%99SWellbeingAndSchoolsBill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in favour of the government's approach of the ongoing consultation before any action. **Agent speak:** Founders Forum Group and PUBLIC host the [GovTech Summit](https://www.govtechsummit.eu/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at Central Hall in Westminster. Speakers include David Willetts and Alex Depledge. I'll be moderating a lunchtime panel on agentic AI in government. **Finance speak:** Bloomberg hosts the [AI in Finance Summit](https://events.bloombergevents.com/event/AI-Summit-London/agenda?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) (invite only). Speakers include reps from Lloyds Banking Group, The Alan Turing Institute and AWS, as well as AI minister Kanishka Narayan. **Mythos surely?** The [National Resilience Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/832/national-resilience-committee/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) chats cyber threats at 10:45am today. They'll hear from **Michael Brunton-Spall,** Deputy Director of Cyber Services in the Government's Cyber Unit, and **Oliver Neuberger,** Managing Director, Accenture Cybersecurity. **In the Lords:** Peers will be [airing concerns](https://whatson.parliament.uk/lords/2026-04-16/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about data centres' energy use around 11:30am. In the evening there will be [votes on the changes made](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55108?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the Commons to the Crime and Policing Bill (covered in [yesterday's edition](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-campaign-to-counter-london-ai-disinfo/)). **Sorry, Palantir:** Palantir will get a bashing from a handful of MPs when they [debate the NHS Federated Data Platform](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54979?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 3:10pm. Before that, Chi Onwurah will be introducing her [committee's latest inquiry](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55141?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the impact of technology on childhood. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🇬🇧 What to watch as the Sovereign AI Unit launches** ****🤔 Ideas to stop a 'techlash'** ****📈 UK AI startups have a bumper start to the year** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### London Falling URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-campaign-to-counter-london-ai-disinfo/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T06:27:29.000Z Happy Wednesday and welcome back to your morning shot of the freshest AI news. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **One to watch:** The [Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3909?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is in the Commons this afternoon for MPs to vote on Lords amendments, which include a ban on social media for under 16s and smartphones in schools. The government has put forward its own rival amendments which would mean it can enact the outcome of its social media consultation later this year. **Hurry up:** Small Modular Reactors are the great hope for powering data centres. Rolls-Royce and X-energy reps talk to [MPs on the Energy Security Committee at 9:15am](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27001?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about how soon they're coming and their cost. **Friday morning chat:** Join us for an [online Q&A with a panel of experts](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about **UK AI sovereignty on Friday at 10am**. We'll be talking through the Sov/AI Unit's launch the night before and where it goes next. We'll have **Will Bushby**, ventures lead at the Sov/AI Unit, **Tom Westgarth**, a former government AI adviser and now head of growth at AI hardware startup Fractile, **Pia Hüsch**, a national security and tech expert at RUSI, and **Paul Drayson**, chair of our sponsor [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), and a member of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee. [**Register here**](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** ****🤥 Ministers plan campaign against AI disinfo on London** ****🏷️ Labelling AI content is back on the agenda** ****✒️ MPs vote to pass government AI chatbot rules, but reject others, setting up a showdown in the Lords.** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The AI jobs story nobody is telling URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-jobs-ai-is-creating/ Last updated: 2026-04-14T06:27:23.000Z Good morning, I'm writing this while cafe-hopping around the City. SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ****What do you get when British innovation meets Nvidia’s top open source models?** [****Meet Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — a UK LLM, developed by London startup [****Locai Labs.**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) It's built by post-training Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 models to give it British language, knowledge and humour. There is even a Welsh version. All its training data is public and there is no Chinese open source in sight. [****Jupiter**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **gives UK organisations a new sovereign reasoning model** with frontier performance that can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud — and it’s trained for maximum performance on agentic tasks. [Find out more ](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening Today 📆 **Inquiry opening:** MPs on the Business and Trade Committee open a [wide-ranging inquiry on AI](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9674/artificial-intelligence-business-and-the-future-of-the-workforce?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They'll take evidence at 2pm from academics Wendy Hall and Neil Lawrence, followed by Microsoft's Hugh Milward and Matthew Evans from techUK. **Pick one:** MPs will vote on Lords amendments to the [Crime and Policing Bill](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0416/240416.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)this afternoon, including rival ones from the government and Beeban Kidron on how to regulate AI chatbots. They'll also be voting on a government amendment to make tech executives criminally liable if their platforms fail to remove intimate images. **Disinfo day:** The Foreign Affairs Committee [will quiz AI minister Kanishka Narayan at 10:30am](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27014/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on the government's response to hostile states using disinformation. Questions will cover the development of tools to identify deepfakes and the tech's department's dealings with social media companies over foreign disinfo. **Where does the copyright debate leave AI adoption and data centres?** [Public First's Neil Ross ](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/what-the-ai-copyright-debate-means-for-data-centres-webinar.html?%5Fcldee=z%5Finqk7t0X%5FSGIU-nAxFyZ0gebqbc0WfkWXn86yKAoHbKJXvHLfLYcm20ujRotKn&recipientid=contact-86174528fecc4deeaabf4c403211f6ab-299e389e8ec547449e99840a058ab0f9&esid=68bd64da-9627-f111-8342-000d3aba7d88&%5Fcldee=ZYSBL8w31NiOxn4M%5FALDuZQXZrGaCsMQ7yin00IrQu01zolJOqaBtypW6MfJCy1V&recipientid=contact-f621a5201023e81181145065f38b4641-629b49f3fdca4f5dbb4a82e6098dc3d2&esid=35626e6b-b72d-f111-88b3-7c1e52fba5f9&ref=themorningintelligence.uk)talks to a techUK audience today about a report commissioned by Microsoft which argued for text and data mining exemptions. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** 👍 ****There is a good news story to tell on AI and jobs. Will anyone do it?** ****✒️ Two UK tech companies sign a deal to create a UK LLM from scratch**. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What to watch as Parliament returns URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/tech-to-watch-as-uk-parliament-returns/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T06:27:06.000Z Happy Monday and welcome back. I mainly spent the weekend digging for worms, not because I have the diet of a badger, but because it keeps the children entertained for two minutes. **Today is the first paid edition, but you get another 30 days free if you** [**upgrade by the end of today**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Sky-high energy costs, little compute and a lack of funding — the UK doesn’t have the ingredients to develop its own LLMs right now, but ****London startup** [****Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has found an ingenious way to repurpose the best open source models into a UK sovereign LLM. [****Meet GB1**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **— it doesn’t train on your conversations, uses licensed data, and is powered by renewable energy.** UK fusion pioneers First Light are among the organisations already using it and there’s much more to come. [Find out more ](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## Happening This Week 📆 The House of Lords will talk about [**AI's impact on employment**](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54987?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 2:30pm today, led by Labour peer Luciana Berger. On **Tuesday** the **Crime and Policing Bill** returns to the Commons for MPs to vote on [the Lords' chatbot amendments](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/lords-pass-new-kidron-ai-chatbot-rules/). It will then "ping-pong" back to the Lords on Thursday. The government will table an amendment to make tech executives criminally liable if their platforms fail to remove intimate images. AI minister Kanishka Narayan also [gives evidence **on Tuesday**](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27014/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Foreign Affairs Committee on tackling disinfo from hostile states. On **Wednesday** the [**Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill**](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55130?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is back in the Commons, which includes the Lords' amendment [banning social media for under-16s](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce84xjl0gx8o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The [latest research](https://news.sky.com/story/two-thirds-of-underage-australians-still-have-access-to-social-media-despite-ban-new-research-suggests-13531097?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from Australia suggests almost two-thirds of under-16s are still on social media, four months after the ban. On **Thursday**, MPs will talk about the [impact of tech on children's development](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55141?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), while there is also a debate on the [NHS' Federated Data Platform with Palantir](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54979?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The Lords will ask about [data centres' impact on net zero targets](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal55058?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Also in Westminster:** The[**GovTech Summit**](https://www.govtechsummit.eu/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) takes place on **Thursday**, with speakers including Alexander Depledge, Nigel Toon and David Willetts. **See you there:** The **Sovereign AI Unit launches** at Wayve's HQ on Thursday evening. [**Join us the next morning at 10am**](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for an online panel and Q&A which includes the unit's ventures lead **Will Busby**. ****In today's edition for paid subscribers:** 👀 **Sovereignty everywhere, elections and a political 'techlash' — what to watch as MPs return.** ****🧪 AISI tests Mythos, regulators and banks worry about its cyber risks.** ****🐌 UK firms are using AI to cut costs, rather than drive growth, a major PWC study shows.** 👩‍💻 **Latest job moves** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Visa delays driving AI talent away URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ucl-geraint-rees-visa-delays-drive-talent-away/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T07:51:22.000Z Good morning and a very happy last day of the holidays. I'm truly chocolate-d out. --- SPONSORED [****A message from Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Sky-high energy costs, little compute and a lack of funding — the UK doesn’t have the ingredients to develop its own LLMs right now, but ****London startup** [****Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has found an ingenious way to repurpose the best open source models into a UK sovereign LLM. [****Meet GB1**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **— it doesn’t train on your conversations, uses licensed data, and is powered by renewable energy.** UK fusion pioneers First Light are among the organisations already using it and there’s much more to come. [Find out more ](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- **🚨 🚨 Get another 30 days free:** To keep reading the whole of your favourite niche newsletter from Monday you'll need[**two secs (and a credit card) to upgrade to a paid membership**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** You **get another 30 days free if you sign up by this Monday**. After that date, new paid subscribers get seven days free. It costs less than a quid a day, you know it makes sense. **🚨 🚨** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Reasons to worry:** The [news about OpenAI](https://www.politico.eu/article/openai-stargate-uk-pause-setback-britain-ai-ambitions/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) pausing its "[Stargate UK](https://openai.com/index/introducing-stargate-uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" plan until the "right conditions" are met on energy and copyright regulation, makes bad headlines for the government, but there are even bigger headaches on the infrastructure buildout. The OpenAI project, in partnership with Nscale, was vague and relatively small, with its 8,000 GPUs a fraction of the 120,000 Nvidia claimed last September would be coming to the UK. The bigger worry should be about the [rest of those GPUs](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/us-uk-tech-prosperity-deal-six-months-on/), largely dependent on bigger schemes, like Nscale's Loughton data centre, whose construction has been [pushed back](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/us-uk-tech-prosperity-deal-six-months-on/). **Data centres please:** More people support than oppose building new data centres, but there is plenty of nuance to the public's views. When asked if they'd back a data centre in their local area, opposition rose, polling out today from [Public First shows](https://publicfirsttech.substack.com/p/britains-data-centre-debate?utm%5Fsource=substack&publication%5Fid=6438249&post%5Fid=193757215&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=share&utm%5Fcampaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=e6fxx&triedRedirect=true), but still remained net positive. The argument that cut through the most was storing data in the UK, with 70 percent supportive, even if it meant building more data centres. **Thanks for letting me know:** Reform MP Danny Kruger has [written to cabinet office boss Darren Jones](https://x.com/danny%5F%5Fkruger/status/2042189090070663588?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about the hacking capabilities of Anthropic's Claude Mythos model, describing the consequences of it as "extremely serious". But it was all smiles at No.10 yesterday with the prime minister's AI adviser Jade Leung [hosting a get-together of engineers](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/i-dot-ai%5Fthis-morning-we-brought-the-brilliant-minds-activity-7447949177843593216-YthO?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo). **Who needs 'em?** A third of UK adults believe driverless cars bring no benefits, but there is a strong generational divide, a survey for the Institute for Driverless Transport shows. Among 18-34 year olds, the number saying there were no benefits to driverless vehicles fell to 18 percent, while among those 65 and over it was half. **Social blaming:** Social media platforms are contributing to a less social online experience by prioritising influencers, adverts and brands,[ according to a report from the IPPR think-tank](https://www.ippr.org/articles/stuck-on-you-social-media?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) out today. Their analysis found that among the top four posts in users’ feeds, only 18 per cent come from someone they know. The report argues this fragments society and politics. Meanwhile, London mayor Sadiq Khan has also [blamed platforms](https://www.ft.com/content/4f954158-18ac-465b-b88f-271e3ac287eb?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for failing to tackle disinfo about the city being a crime-ridden hell hole. **Coming to a bus stop near you:** The University of Sheffield has launched a campaign on bus stops and social media to raise AI awareness among the public. They're placing digital comics on bus stops across Sheffield, Plymouth, Morecambe and Lancaster for the [Let's Talk AI](https://www.letstalkai.org.uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) campaign. --- ## 'We're losing people to Boston because of visa friction' *Geraint Rees is University College London's Vice Provost for Research, Innovation & Global Engagement. He has held senior roles across UCL, has advised Google DeepMind and is a non-exec director at the university's spinout arm.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/04/Gemini_Generated_Image_e33xoge33xoge33x.png) Geraint Rees. Image: UCL/Gemini **1) What role do you see universities playing in innovation areas like King's Cross?** Google DeepMind, the Francis Crick Institute and Isomorphic Labs are not in King’s Cross by accident. They are here because UCL is here, and because proximity to world-class research and talent is worth more than cheaper real estate elsewhere. But the role has evolved. UCL is no longer just a knowledge producer but is now a generator of high-growth companies. Autolus, our CAR-T therapy spinout, has raised $1.1 billion, employs 450 people and manufactures in the UK. AI company Synthesia, co-founded by a UCL professor, is valued at $4 billion. That happened because we built the infrastructure and expertise that turns research into companies including UCL Business, our commercialisation company, and clinical trial access. **2) What government policy changes do you most want to see?** I would like to see three changes, none of which requires significant spending. First, capital allowances that treat lab fit-out as infrastructure. The AI-driven drug discovery companies that define this district still need wet labs and clean rooms for experimental validation, and those cost three to five times standard office conversion. Developers can't finance that speculatively, so early-stage companies can't find affordable space, and the pipeline from AI research to clinical application breaks down. Second, specialist researcher visas processed in weeks, not months. The district draws AI and life sciences talent from over 100 countries. Every early-stage company we speak to raises visa processing times and costs as a deterrent. We are losing people to Boston and Singapore not because of pay but because of friction. Third, NHS procurement used as a demand anchor for AI-developed products. NHS London has enormous purchasing power. Directing more of it toward UK-developed AI tools and therapies would do more for the sector than almost any other single lever. The government is the UK's biggest buyer, so should act like it. **3) What do you tell students who might be worried about AI changing the future of work or wider society?** I tell them that anxiety about AI is rational and their generation is right to take it seriously. But I also tell them something that the data supports: the skills that AI amplifies rather than replaces are precisely the skills a research university like UCL develops. The ability to ask a question that hasn’t been asked before, working across disciplines and exercising judgment when the answer isn’t in the training data. The students I worry about are not those asking whether AI will take their jobs. They are the ones who assume that because AI can generate an answer, they no longer need to understand the question. Curiosity and critical thinking are not threatened by AI, but are the hedge against it. **4) UCL signed a partnership with Nvidia last year. Which areas have you seen the most development in since then?** The partnership has moved faster than I expected in two areas. Firstly, sovereign AI — the UK’s capacity to train and deploy advanced models on its own data, in its own languages, including Welsh, Gaelic and Cornish. That matters culturally and practically: a model trained on NHS data or UK legal frameworks or UK languages behaves differently from one shaped by US data and literature. Secondly, the application side. We have active projects using Nvidia’s platforms to build digital twins for stroke prediction and treatment — the kind of tool I expect to see deployed in the NHS within years, not decades. **5) Give us a piece of advice you’d tell your teenage self.** Enjoy yourself a little more and worry a little less. Advice my non-teenage self still needs! --- Happy weekend, back Monday. Tom ### Big Tech's latest beef with the CMA URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-algorithm-powers-tech-push-back/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T06:27:05.000Z Happy Thursday, first a diary date. The Morning Intelligence is hosting an [**online panel and Q&A on the Sovereign AI Unit**](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), next Friday, **April 17, at 10am**. The expert panel will look at why the UK is making this bet now, where the unit should intervene and what limitations it will face. We'll be joined by one of the unit's architects, Tom Westgarth. [**Register here**](https://luma.com/mbonsdsa?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** Thursday April 9, Big Tech's latest beef with the CMA 0:00 /277.524875 1× --- SPONSORED [****Necessity is the mother of invention**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Sky-high energy costs, little compute and a lack of funding — the UK doesn’t have the ingredients to develop its own LLMs right now, but ****London startup** [****Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has found an ingenious way to repurpose the best open source models into a UK sovereign LLM. [****Meet GB1**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **— it doesn’t train on your conversations, uses licensed data, and is powered by renewable energy.** UK fusion pioneers First Light are among the organisations already using it and there’s much more to come. [Find out more ](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Happening Today 📆 **Ideas against disinfo:** The [**Cambridge Disinformation Conference**](https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/events/cambridge-disinformation-summit-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) continues with today's speakers including former tech minister Damian Collins. Collins will set out six recommendations to tackle online disinfo, including cutting off advertising revenue from platforms benefiting from its spread, strengthening the Online Safety Act and building an ‘AI Trust Stack’ to help people verify content. **Evening plans:** The Institute for Driverless Transport launches [with an event](https://luma.com/1jy9g6ym?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at One Triton Square this evening. **🚨 🚨 Happening Monday:** To keep reading the whole of your favourite niche newsletter from Monday you'll need[**two secs (and a credit card) to upgrade to a paid membership**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** You **get another 30 days free if you sign up by this Monday**. After that date, new paid subscribers get seven days free. It costs less than a quid a day, you know it makes sense. **🚨 🚨** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **A true friend:** Asking chatbots a question rather than telling them what you think makes them less sycophantic, research from the AI Security Institute out this morning shows. Researchers tested 440 prompt variants across OpenAI and Anthropic models to find that when prompts were framed as questions rather than statements, the chatbot was less likely to agree with the user. **It is Ian:** The tech department [has confirmed Ian Cheshire](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-video-synthesia-security-standards/) as its preferred candidate for the next Ofcom chair. The [former Channel 4 chair](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-preferred-candidate-for-ofcom-chair?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) will be quizzed by MPs on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee next week. Cheshire said he would set out his vision for Ofcom during that hearing. **Healthy news:** Think-tanks the IPPR and Interface want urgent action on AI Overviews. They have put forward a ["competition-first" policy package](https://www.interface-eu.org/publications/ai-overviews-impact-on-news?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to halt unauthorised use of publisher content and require platforms to pay news organisations. The paper also repeats the IPPR's call for “nutrition” labels to show which sources underpin AI-generated news. **Health news:** The NHS's data chief has vowed to continue rolling out Palantir's Federated Data Platform, [telling colleagues](https://www.ft.com/content/1ac7a046-329c-4036-b01e-f2291dde28ca?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) it was delivering "outstanding" results. --- ## Big Tech fears CMA algorithm grab Ministers want to beef up the Competition and Markets Authority's remit to investigate algorithms, including live-testing powers, but tech firms are pushing back, accusing the regulator of over-reach. **Power grab:** A [government consultation](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/refining-our-competition-regime?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has just closed on reforms at the competition watchdog which would give the CMA extra powers to scrutinise companies' algorithms. “Algorithms can be misused in ways that breach competition law," the [consultation reads](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e4aa4bbcea094189e23b7/refining-our-competition-regime.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). "Government wants to ensure the CMA has robust tools to investigate and address such harmful practices.” **Why we need it:** The watchdog already has powers to investigate algorithms for competition harms. It can request documents through an information notice, but, the government argues, that can take multiple rounds of requests, meaning investigations take longer. It believes the regulator's powers are “insufficient to reveal the role of algorithms." **Testing times:** Under the new powers it would be able to force companies to perform live-testing, allowing it to see how an algorithm operates. Tech companies fear it goes too far, lacks safeguards and would have impacts beyond the UK. **You've gone too far:** The CCIA, a lobby group which represents companies including Amazon, Google, Meta and Apple, [argues the](https://ccianet.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CCIA-Response-DBT-Refining-our-competition-regime.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) proposals would be a “significant extension of intrusive powers” and threaten commercial confidentiality. It described the proposals as an “over-reach that will test the CMA’s technical capabilities," in its response to the consultation. “These powers are globally unprecedented and their potential impacts should be considered in much greater detail." **Is this the 4Ps?** The CMA has shifted to four principles called the "[4Ps](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-the-4ps-under-the-digital-markets-competition-regime/delivering-the-4ps-under-the-digital-markets-competition-regime?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" — proportionality, predictability, process and pace — and the CCIA argued the proposals would also undermine them and place extra burdens on SMEs. Its UK senior director, Matthew Sinclair, said: "We’re generally concerned that the consultation would mean a more intrusive competition policy, when the signals from Government and CMA up to now were that they wanted the opposite." --- ## Spotted Elsewhere 👀 *A weekly round-up of interesting stuff I've read.* **What's the plan?** Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Chi Onwurah has [accused the government](https://www.ft.com/content/857cc88f-10f9-48ea-ae4b-7ea10876c87e?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of making confusing decisions about tech sovereignty and lacking a strategy. **It's no myth:** [Platformer](https://www.platformer.news/anthropic-mythos-cybersecurity-risk-experts/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and [Transformer](https://www.transformernews.ai/p/claude-mythos-scheming-hiding-manipulation-interpretability-cybersecurity-anthropic?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) both have enlightening reads on the fuss around Anthropic's Project Glasswing, built to contain its latest model Claude Mythos. Platformer's includes the line "Glasswing is built on a deeply uncomfortable premise — that the only way to protect us from dangerous AI models is to build them first." Matt Clifford also [gives his views](https://x.com/matthewclifford/status/2041801336660910283?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on Mythos, describing it as "game changing". **Ambition:** AI minister Kanishka Narayan and chair of the Sovereign AI Unit James Wise chat about what the unit will be doing in this [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ7HGz5HreU&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Narayan says the unit was hitting the right "cultural moment" and it was aiming to build "multiple trillion dollar" AI companies in the UK. **How can middle powers influence global AI governance?** A mixture of "exporting" expertise, capabilities and governance approaches, the Centre for Long-Term Resilience [outlines in its Substack](https://governingtransformativeai.substack.com/p/an-export-led-approach-to-ai-governance). --- Back tomorrow, Tom ### Britain's adoption problem isn't the AI URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-adoption-problem-solutions/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T10:08:43.000Z Good morning and happy Wednesday. Today's briefing on AI adoption comes from journalist **Alys Key** who writes the excellent [**UK 2.0 newsletter**](https://uk20.substack.com/). Enjoy! Wednesday April 8, Britain's adoption problem isn't the AI 0:00 /311.144438 1× SPONSORED [****Necessity is the mother of invention**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Sky-high energy costs, little compute and a lack of funding — the UK doesn’t have the ingredients to develop its own LLMs right now, but ****London startup** [****Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has found an ingenious way to repurpose the best open source models into a UK sovereign LLM. [****Meet GB1**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **— it doesn’t train on your conversations, uses licensed data, and is powered by renewable energy.** UK fusion pioneers First Light are among the organisations already using it and there’s much more to come. [Find out more ](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) ## News In Brief 🩳 **In Cambridge:** The three-day [Cambridge Disinformation Summit](https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/events/cambridge-disinformation-summit-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) begins today, with speakers including Imran Ahmed, from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Labour MP Anneliese Dodds and Professor Gina Neff. **New wheels:** The [Institute for Driverless Transport](https://www.institutefordriverlesstransport.co.uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) launches tomorrow to help prepare policymakers for robotaxis coming to London later this year. The launch event will host four workshops on productivity, social impact, job displacement and security. **Russian hack:** Russian military hackers have compromised commonly-used UK routers allowing them to reroute internet traffic through malicious servers, the [National Cyber Security Centre warned Tuesday](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/uk-exposes-russian-military-intelligence-hijacking-vulnerable-routers-for-cyber-attacks?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Ideas please:** Parliament is [seeking views on digital sovereignty](https://post.parliament.uk/approved-work-digital-sovereignty/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and how it applies to the UK. It will publish research this summer. You have until April 30 to respond. **Cyber push:** Anthropic announced a new model called [Claude Mythos](https://www.anthropic.com/glasswing?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Preview would be made available to around 40 organisations to test their software for security vulnerabilities. --- ## Britain's adoption problem isn't the AI For all the hoopla around the transformational power of AI, British businesses are yet to wholeheartedly embrace it. Research [commissioned by DSIT](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-adoption-research/ai-adoption-research?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) found that just one in six UK firms have adopted AI, causing a headache for the department and wider government as it bets on AI-driven productivity growth. **Not just us:** The challenge is global, with Britain’s adoption rate only a little behind that of businesses in the US, where the Census Bureau [estimated AI uptake of 17.5](https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/data?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) percent. But usage can also be slippery to pin down depending on the metric used. Another s[urvey](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/mind-the-gap-ai-adoption-in-europe-and-the-us/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) suggests that 36 percent of British workers are using generative AI for their job, behind the US but on a par with other European countries. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/04/data-src-image-61dc6d2e-1f03-4133-9b4a-5dd454de6905.png) [**Mind the Gap: AI Adoption in Europe and the U.S*](https://www.nber.org/system/files/working%5Fpapers/w34995/w34995.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.* **Happy at home, cautious at work:** The figure for those using AI at [home is much higher at 73](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-skills-for-life-and-work-general-public-survey-findings/ai-skills-for-life-and-work-general-public-survey-findings?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#key-findings) percent, compared to around a third at work, according to a separate government study. That suggests the adoption challenge is in the workplace, rather than with the technology itself. “Often within a company, they're used to quite a top-down approach to policies and direction,” said Bob De Caux, chief AI officer at industrial software provider IFS. This then exacerbates a gap between those who are comfortable using AI in their work and their colleagues who aren’t. **Rules please:** A case study [published by the CIPD](https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/case-studies/construction-company-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), the professional body for HR, in partnership with the [Institute for the Future of Work](https://www.ifow.org/news-articles/a-people-challenge-not-a-tech-one---findings-on-workplace-ai-from-our-cipd-backed-case-studies?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), suggests one solution is more rules. Conducted as part of the [BridgeAI programme](https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/bridgeai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), the research details how a construction company increased workers' confidence with AI. It found that training on general-purpose tools wasn’t enough — staff needed to feel comfortable trying new things on their own. A key part of that was setting guardrails so that no confidential data was leaked and they could experiment without fear. **Bye-bye generic:** Another issue holding back companies is generic solutions. “The big problem is that they try stuff out-of-the-box and it doesn't do what they want,” De Caux said. “That creates a negative experience, so they're disinclined to continue using it further.” The [DSIT survey](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-adoption-research/ai-adoption-research?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) showed this is how most companies approach AI adoption, with 71 percent buying ready-to-use external software, compared to 14 percent who developed it in-house. **Things move fast:** Even if off-the-shelf products seem like the best solution, it can also be hard to keep up with what’s available. > “I think procurement is a big factor, because the space is moving so fast that it's very hard to wed yourself to one or two tools,” observed De Caux. **Money too?** There was a tentative suggestion in the government's SME Digital Adoption Taskforce [recommendations](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sme-digital-adoption-taskforce-final-report/sme-digital-adoption-taskforce-final-report?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#ten-recommendations-for-the-uk-government) last year that there should be a review of financial incentives to get SMEs adopting. The Government is due to publish an update on progress in the "spring", minister Blair McDougall [confirmed last month](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-03-11/119870?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Head-scratching:** But perhaps the most important blocker is that many firms still cannot identify where AI would be useful. Helping different sectors to solve that would unlock the most potential benefit, De Caux argued. “When you've got these tools that can supposedly do everything, where do you start?” This is the goal of the BridgeAI programme, though it only focuses on a specific set of industries. **Over to you, boss:** The question is whether government needs to intervene further to get laggards on board with the tech, or whether this problem will be solved by the private sector as more AI products come to market that are tailored to specific business challenges. Ex-prime minister [Rishi Sunak argues](https://x.com/RishiSunak/status/2041410113936740570?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that it is for the CEOs of SMEs to take the lead. **The agents cometh:** But even if more businesses can be persuaded to use LLMs and image generators, the proliferation of agentic AI presents a new problem for businesses. It widens the skills gap yet again, and presents fresh governance challenges. “I think from a policy point of view, regulating agents is going to become very interesting, very quickly,” said De Caux. If companies fear they will be held liable for the actions of an agent in the way they might be for those of an employee, that could throw up a whole new barrier – and a whole new headache for ministers. The key is for the government and regulators to get ahead with frameworks for agentic AI rather than just responding each time the next wave hits. --- That's your lot, back tomorrow, Tom ### AI video gets a security upgrade URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-video-synthesia-security-standards/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T06:27:35.000Z Good morning and welcome back. I hope you all had excellent Easter breaks. Yes, I wrote "excellent" because your favourite niche newsletter doesn't do cheap puns... TMI: April 7, AI video gets a security upgrade 0:00 /290.142 1× --- ## Necessity is the mother of invention **SPONSORED:** Sky-high energy costs, little compute and a lack of funding — the UK doesn’t have the ingredients to develop its own LLMs right now, but **London startup** [**Locai Labs**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has found an ingenious way to repurpose the best open source models into a UK sovereign LLM. [**Meet GB1**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **— it doesn’t train on your conversations, uses licensed data, and is powered by renewable energy.** UK fusion pioneers First Light are among the organisations already using it and there’s much more to come. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Making moves:** The government is stepping up its attempts to [woo Anthropic](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-courts-anthropic-trump-blacklisting/), with DSIT officials sketching out options ranging from a London office expansion to a dual-listing when it IPOs, the [FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/6bfd7b59-5e63-4a4d-ab55-7c2bd39b05a5?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The options will be put to the company's chief executive Dario Amodei when he visits Europe in late May. **See-saw:** Ex Channel 4 chair Ian Cheshire is now the favourite to be the next Ofcom chair. Ex-Labour MP Margaret Hodge and former Conservative culture secretary Jeremy Wright are also on the shortlist and were previously the front runners. [The FT](https://www.ft.com/content/bdcccae0-5a99-4642-b920-b29d5d6a1068?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) reckons an announcement could be made as soon as today by tech secretary Liz Kendall. I'm told not to expect it that soon, but the appointment will be made before the end of the month when the current chair's term runs out. The government's preferred candidate will then appear before MPs on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. If it is Cheshire there will be plenty of questions about his lack of experience in online safety. **Lots of changes please:** The Alan Turing Institute needs to show better value for money, improved governance and a clearer mission, its [main funder UKRI found](https://www.ukri.org/news/review-to-help-shape-next-phase-of-the-alan-turing-institute/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Open to ideas:** OpenAI has published [20 policy ideas](https://openaiglobalaffairs.substack.com/p/20-ideas-for-ai-era-industrial-policy) which it believes will build an AI economy that is more open and democratic. It has split them into economic and societal policies and describes them as early ideas to start a broader conversation. --- ## Synthesia's security upgrade UK AI darling Synthesia announced a string of [policy updates](https://www.synthesia.io/post/new-security-privacy-and-product-policy-updates-for-synthesia-3-0?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning to match the latest version of its video platform. The company described it as a “new milestone in enterprise AI assurance”. It comes amid [growing pressure in Europe](https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-eu-ban-deepfakes-ai-generation-official-messages/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) around the use and regulation of AI-generated videos. **The certs:** The company has added ISO 27701 — the international privacy standard that covers personal data — to its existing two ISO certifications for information security and AI governance. The UK firm is the first AI video platform globally to achieve all three standards from the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization. **You know it makes sense:** Its head of policy, Alexandru Voica, told us that obtaining the standards would "do more to accelerate safe adoption of AI than any statement of intent or abstract principles". He added: "Our approach also reflects a truth known in the enterprise space: in a fast-evolving world, trust is sustained through evidence and audits.” **Moderate this:** Synthesia is also changing how it moderates content to reduce instances of false positives, where legitimate videos are incorrectly flagged for breaching its policies. The London-based company's clients are increasingly using custom avatars based on the likeness of real people, as opposed to stock avatars, based on paid actors or AI-generated characters. But those custom avatars rely on third-party AI models, meaning the company is dependent on their moderation systems and is thus strengthening its own red-teaming efforts. **All you need is trust:** Synthesia sells to 90% of the Fortune 100 and Voica [wrote in a blog](https://www.synthesia.io/post/new-security-privacy-and-product-policy-updates-for-synthesia-3-0?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), shared exclusively with The Morning Intelligence, that its updated approach to trust and safety was “designed for enterprise realities", while preventing misuse. In regulated industries like finance, healthcare and government the ISO certifications are independent proof of good practice, making them a sales tool as well as a compliance exercise. **Standards, the way forward:** Starling Bank’s chief information officer, Harriet Rees, has also proposed UK standardised testing of AI models used by banks, she [told the FT](https://www.ft.com/content/3053b547-5e55-4520-9b95-828c417a5d79?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning. --- ## Monday Movers (a day late) 👩‍💻 *Get in touch to share your career updates.* **On the move:** The Treasury's head of AI policy, **Diego Duchi**, is [leaving the civil service](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7445423870632865792/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) after 10 years. [**Eleanor Boyer**](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7444326312011337728/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), who led on tech investment in North America for the UK government, has relocated to Paris. DSIT's former director of comms **Abigail Morris** is joining Public First in Washington D.C. as director of strategy and policy. **Hiring:** DSIT is looking for a director general for "[Digital Foundations](https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi?SID=cGFnZWFjdGlvbj12aWV3dmFjYnlqb2JsaXN0Jm93bmVydHlwZT1mYWlyJnNlYXJjaHBhZ2U9MyZwYWdlY2xhc3M9Sm9icyZqb2JsaXN0X3ZpZXdfdmFjPTE5OTE5OTkmb3duZXI9NTA3MDAwMCZzZWFyY2hzb3J0PWNsb3NpbmcmdXNlcnNlYXJjaGNvbnRleHQ9MTgxMDg2NjQzJnJlcXNpZz0xNzc0OTAxMDMzLTU3MGZlOGI1Y2NhMThkNzBmMzlkOGNhMGU3YjRiMGI2YmFmN2FhYTE=&ref=themorningintelligence.uk)". You'll be leading on cybersecurity, digital IDs, digital inclusion and Project Gigabit. Google DeepMind is hiring a policy/comms manager to [cover Eve Mannick's maternity leave](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eve-mannick-8a25a375%5Fsome-personal-and-professional-news-ill-share-7445122487501287424-hAdG?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo). --- **Six days to go:** The Morning Intelligence is **free for another week until Monday April 13**. From that date free subscribers will still receive the newsletter each day, but will only be able to read a preview at the top. Paid subscribers get everything. The first 30 days of all paid subs are **free if taken out before April 13**. After April 13 **only seven days will be free**. All revenue goes into producing more independent journalism in this crucial but under-reported area. Prices start from £12.50 a month per person with a group subscription. [**Do join me if you can**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** --- Thanks for reading, back tomorrow. Tom ### Mozilla sets up UK data firm URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/mozilla-sets-up-uk-data-firm/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T06:27:32.000Z Good morning, it's time for me to leave the beach and hide some Easter eggs. This newsletter is a big believer in public holidays and will be back on Tuesday. Wishing you all a Happy Easter break and fruitful hunting until then. TMI: Thursday April 2, Mozilla launches UK data firm 0:00 /274.364063 1× --- ## A message from [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **SPONSORED: The UK has missed the boat on foundational AI right?** Not so fast. Meet one entrepreneurial family that thinks otherwise. London startup [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has developed a UK LLM by post-training an open source model using just one node of GPUs and a tiny budget. How? Why? **Find** [**out more**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **and get in** [**touch with** ](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)[**them**](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **or just chat to it at** [**GB1.ai**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Clifford's new chapter:** VC Matt Clifford is [stepping back](https://x.com/matthewclifford/status/2039327347233439758?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from some of his work at Entrepreneurs First to focus on "ways to contribute to UK tech sovereignty", he said yesterday. The former government AI advisor will become the startup accelerator's non-executive chairman, while continuing as chair of ARIA. **Apply to the frontier:** ARIA is looking for partner organisations to help it get cutting-edge AI capabilities into the hands of UK researchers. They want partners focused on frontier AI for Science tools and autonomous labs. [Applications close May 21](https://aria.org.uk/activation-partners/become-an-activation-partner/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **No thanks:** NHS staff are boycotting Palantir's Federated Data Platform over ethical concerns, [the FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/dbb67083-bd1d-46e9-b196-1438d54c5795?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Labour MP Chi Onwurah, meanwhile, who supports the government breaking its deal with Palantir, said she was [driven by concerns around](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/01/mp-palantir-claims-criticism-nhs-england-deal?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the contract rather than ideology against the company. **Cluster cash:** UKRI is giving regions up to £20m to support innovation clusters, it announced this morning. Areas getting the money include defence-tech in south-west England, critical minerals in south Wales and autonomous vehicles in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. DSIT also said yesterday that Professor Leszek Borysiewicz is its preferred candidate to be the next chair of UKRI. **Opinions please:** The Competition and Markets Authority has [opened a call for evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/recent-developments-in-relation-to-apples-and-googles-app-store-rules?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=208cb864-d95a-4d49-978f-c551db9a0041&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) to get views on changes proposed by [Google and Apple to their app stores](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-secures-commitments-from-apple-and-google-to-improve-fairness-in-app-store-processes-and-enhance-ios-interoperability?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), following the watchdog's digital markets investigations. --- ## Mozilla sets up UK data firm **Scoop:** Mozilla is launching a UK company today to help organisations sell their data to AI developers. The [Mozilla Data Collective](https://community.mozilladatacollective.com/about/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) gives developers access to hundreds of clean datasets, while the data provider gets control of where their data is used plus payment. **Bad diet:** Its founder EM Lewis-Jong said: “This generation of AI was fed a diet of data scraped from the internet, and it shows. We need a tech future that is more multilingual, multicultural and multimodal – basically, more human.” They said “indiscriminate scraping” was not the way to get there and organisations needed control of how their datasets are used. **Enter Mozilla Data Collective:** “Our goal is to build a real, pro-people alternative," they said. "You should be able to talk to the person behind the dataset, see the metadata, the provenance." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/04/Mozilla-Data-Collective-12-2-1.JPG) Mozilla Data Collective founder EM Lewis-Jong **Why now?** Model developers are searching for better ways to access high-quality data, but Mozilla, the Californian non-profit best known for creating Firefox, believes there is a lack of infrastructure for fair data sharing, which hinders AI’s development. “We want builders and creators to work and imagine together," EM said. "When you break this mission down to first principles, a data collective is absolutely core to enabling that." **Third way UK:** Mozilla has set up the firm in the UK because it reckons the country is well-poised to create a “third way” between what is usually presented as a binary choice between respecting data ownership or winning the innovation race, EM said. **Strong start:** The social enterprise has signed up 160 organisations to make around 850 datasets in more than 300 languages available. Data ranges from Afghan literature to Nigerian folktales and are being used by thousands of public labs, journalists, researchers and tech companies, including UK startups, EM said. **Original Sin:** "I think one of the original sins in tech is when a product’s impact ambition, its growth strategy, and its revenue strategy don’t align," EM said. "With Mozilla Data Collective, we’ve built an aligned model: we grow the platform’s curation of community datasets, which drives more people to build tech for those communities, and generates revenue for them and for us." **How it works:** It makes money by charging the downloader, but not the data uploader, a five percent fee. The group was [first announced in November](https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/meet-mozilla/press-center/mozilla-data-collective-launches/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), but today is setting up as a UK company. It is backed by multi-million-dollar seed funding and is the first social enterprise incubated by the Mozilla Foundation. --- ## 'Government can turbocharge' *This week's Q&A is with Anne-Marie Imafidon, chair of the government's* [*Women in Tech Taskforce*](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/launch-of-women-in-tech-taskforce?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)*. She co-founded Stemettes in 2013 to encourage more young women into STEM careers.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/Gemini_Generated_Image_moj5ecmoj5ecmoj5-1.png) Anne-Marie Imafidon. Credit: Stemettes/Gemini **1) What do you hope the Women in Tech Taskforce can achieve that other initiatives have failed to?** The Taskforce is systemic and backed by a Secretary of State (Liz Kendall) who is truly about change in the sector, which drives better outcomes for all of society. Ultimately I hope we’ll achieve a better culture, better retention and more funding for women working in tech - from academics to founders, entry-level to leaders, employees and the self-employed. **2) How much is it down to government to push industry to increase opportunities for all and how much should it be down to businesses themselves?** It’s a balance. Both have a role to play: this is why the taskforce being run by DSIT is a great opportunity. Business has only done so much thus far: proper government intervention can turbocharge what more needs to be done. **3) In your career and work at Stemettes what are the repeated challenges you encounter with getting more women and girls into STEM?** Having an industry that fosters belonging (rather than hostility towards them), feeling a proper sense of connection and community when entering into the field, proper awareness of the plethora of pathways into and within the field, and having women and girls see where their identity matches up with driving all that’s possible technically. These are the systemic barriers that we encounter again and again. **4) What are your hopes and fears for how AI may impact society?** My fear is that those creating and driving AI decisions do so without due regard for the socio-technical nature of its impact. My hope is that the benefits of AI are felt by all and well distributed due to smart, wise and equitable considerations of the possibilities brought about by such technology. **5) Give us a piece of advice you’d tell your teenage self.** When you go together, you go further. Look for a crew, community (I wish I had Stemettes) to celebrate with, commiserate with and learn alongside. --- Happy holidays, back Tuesday. Tom ### Beyond Cloud URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-cma-sms-microsoft-investigation/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T06:27:12.000Z Happy Wednesday and welcome back to this April Fools' free newsletter. TMI April 1 CMA Goes Beyond Cloud 0:00 /247.875875 1× --- ## A message from [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **SPONSORED: The UK has missed the boat on foundational AI right?** Not so fast. Meet one entrepreneurial family that thinks otherwise. London startup [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has developed a UK LLM by post-training an open source model using just one node of GPUs and a tiny budget. How? Why? [**Find out more**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **and get in** [**touch with** ](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)[**them**](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **or just chat to it at** [**GB1.ai**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Pensions do VC:** Three UK pension funds are investing in the British Business Bank's [Growth Partnership Fund I for the first time](https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/news-and-events/news/three-uk-pension-funds-invest-uk-venture-capital-through-british-business-bank?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), raising £200m. The fund is making its first investment of £8m into Wayve. **Bigger Pi:** Cambridge's Raspberry Pi reported an excellent 2025 with [pre-tax profits up 63 percent](https://www.ft.com/content/5c167591-80bb-4290-ae66-7d04112cbd1c?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The low-cost computer maker is benefiting from customers believing AI models will run on edge computing, which its products are suited to. Its shares soared 47 percent on the LSE yesterday. **How to hire:** Data watchdog the ICO has [updated its guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/individual-rights/automated-decision-making-including-profiling/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about how to avoid AI producing unfair hiring decisions. **Tough at the top:** CEOs of the largest companies (more than $5bn revenue) are under pressure to deliver returns on their AI investments, with 42 percent feeling "high" or "very high" urgency, nearly double the rate at smaller firms, research out [this morning from Boston Consulting Group shows](https://www.bcg.com/ja-jp/press/1april2026-cfos-emerge-as-ceos-top-threat-to-job-security-as-internal-pressures-intensify?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Happy Wednesday:** Iran has threatened to [target US tech companies](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/31/iran-threatens-to-target-us-owned-infrastructure-in-the-middle-east-00852120?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the Middle East from today. --- ## The cloud decision is about more than cloud The Competition and Markets Authority has decided against a formal cloud investigation into [Amazon and Microsoft](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-announces-package-of-actions-on-business-software-and-cloud-services?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). They're going after Microsoft's software licensing instead. Why? They believe the application layer is still open and will fundamentally affect which companies dominate AI. **May Day:** The watchdog will start a "strategic market status" investigation in May using its digital markets powers. It will take up to nine months and mean that new rules could be placed on how Microsoft licenses its software to businesses. Some of this is about cloud i.e. how Microsoft's software dominance affects cloud competition, but the investigation goes beyond that into the broader software layer. Many of the cloud concerns, meanwhile, are being dealt with through separate agreements with the two companies. **All part of the plan:** The [announcement yesterday](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69cba73069dd81b3f213c617/Actions%5Fon%5Fcloud%5Fand%5Fbusiness%5Fsoftware%5Fthrough%5Fthe%5FUK%5Fdigital%5Fmarkets%5Fcompetition%5Fregime.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) framed the decision as focusing on AI software and giving UK firms a chance to compete on a more level playing field. The CMA argued its decision fits with the UK's AI strategy of focusing on the country's strengths at the application layer. **The time is now:** "The embedding of advanced AI (including assistants and emerging agentic technologies) into familiar workplace tools means this is a pivotal moment for the sector," the CMA's decision report said. "As these tools become an increasingly key part of the workplace, there is a unique opportunity now: to ensure UK businesses and public sector organisations can choose the AI tools that deliver the greatest productivity gains for them." **The bet:** The CMA's fear is that Microsoft uses its dominance of business software to get everyone onto Copilot rather than other alternatives. Its executive director of digital markets, Will Hayter, has just returned from the US and is convinced the regulator has a window to act now while the market is still maturing. Its chief executive Sarah Cardell, meanwhile, said the decision was about "getting ahead of emerging issues". **Amazon escapes:** The decision to focus on Microsoft software rather than purely on cloud doesn't sit well with all, especially after [two-and-a-half years of investigating](https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/cloud-services-market-investigation?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) cloud. Campaign group Foxglove accused it of a "bizarre" decision to not go after Amazon with a formal investigation, when it holds around 40 percent cloud market share. **They've said they'll do it:** Instead it has secured changes, and promises of future action, from [Microsoft](https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2026/03/31/working-constructively-with-the-uk-cma-to-support-customer-choice-and-cloud-competition/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and [Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/aws/delivering-good-outcomes-for-uk-customers?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to tackle interoperability between cloud platforms and switching fees, known as egress fees. The CMA reckons this gives it the best chance of quickly securing action. There is a progress review in six months. The full list of actions is on [page 10 of this doc](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69cba73069dd81b3f213c617/Actions%5Fon%5Fcloud%5Fand%5Fbusiness%5Fsoftware%5Fthrough%5Fthe%5FUK%5Fdigital%5Fmarkets%5Fcompetition%5Fregime.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## A £1bn bet on 'squishy' chat Granola is London's latest "unicorn", raising $125m in a [Series C round](https://www.granola.ai/blog/series-c?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) last week. Its co-founder Sam Stephenson tells us why he thinks the note taking app, used by companies like Lovable and Mistral, is fundamental to agentic AI. **Good to talk:** "There's not really a richer form of context for the AI than the conversations that are happening in a company," Sam said. "We're trying to take this squishy human conversation and turn that into useful, structured stuff and I find that just an endlessly interesting thing to think about." That bet has turned the meeting app from a two-man band into a global company, now registered in Delaware, but firmly London-based. **The hard part:** Their toughest challenge is that transcription is imperfect and getting AI to infer what people really mean in their conversations is even harder. "We're not used to the idea that our conversation is going to be informing an AI," Sam said. "A lot of the job for us is teasing that apart." **Should we change how we speak in meetings then?** No, said Sam, keep the small talk. "I want the meeting to be as messy and realistic as possible. It gives us real life examples to design with." He wants Granola to become more than a note-taking app and develop into a "proactive assistant", following up on the outcome of work meetings. **How to beat the big guys:** Sam believes Granola is heading in a different direction to transcription apps like Otter, but general purpose LLMs do keep him up at night when he thinks about the company's competition. The key is to be an expert in a niche area, he said, and being in London over San Francisco helps with that. "San Francisco is incredibly hype driven. I think it's really easy to lose sight of actually solving your users' problems." --- **First steps:** The Morning Intelligence is four weeks old. In that time it's broken news on the [CMA's cloud inquiry](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-cloud-inquiry-chair-kip-meek-quits/), government [AI regulation](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/a-new-regulation-bill-ai-growth-labs/) plans and given you intel before anyone else on [copyright](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-copyright-update/) and the Chancellor's [Mais Lecture](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/rachel-reeves-mais-lecture-ai-vision/). Alongside that, it's published in-depth looks at [AI's actual impact on jobs](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-job-cuts-dont-panic/) and held tech companies to account for [their investment promises](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/us-uk-tech-prosperity-deal-six-months-on/). On April 13, I'm starting paid subscriptions, with **100% of revenue going into producing more independent journalism** in this crucial, but under-reported area. [**Do join me if you can**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** --- Thanks for reading, back tomorrow. Tom ### Data centres are losing the political battle URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-data-centres-energy-battle/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T06:27:16.000Z Good morning, I'm off on my second Easter egg hunt at a National Trust property in two days — staycation-ing at its finest. TMI March 31 Data Centres are losing the political battle 0:00 /306.128938 1× --- ## A message from [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **SPONSORED: The UK has missed the boat on foundational AI right?** Not so fast. Meet one entrepreneurial family that thinks otherwise. London startup [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has developed a UK LLM by post-training an open source model using just one node of GPUs and a tiny budget. How? Why? **Find** [**out more**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **and get in** [**touch with** ](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)[**them**](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **or just chat to it at** [**GB1.ai**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **I'll raise you:** Chip startup Fractile is in talks to raise $200m which would value it at $1bn, the [FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/07590da1-ee27-421f-b60a-387f8c6f4b61?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The London-based company [said in February](https://www.cityam.com/fractile-pledges-100m-uk-expansion-amid-ai-chip-push/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) it would invest £100m over the next three years in expanding its UK operations as it seeks to eventually challenge Nvidia's dominance. **Work update:** The government's new AI Economics Institute will be a joint Treasury-DSIT project and incorporate the already-established Future of Work Unit, AI minister [Kanishka Narayan said](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-03-11/119869?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It will have a broader focus on the economic impact of AI, rather than only the labour market, he added. **Breakfast juice:** Google announced the launch of a project called ‘AI Works for Britain’ this morning to help people use AI to advance their careers. They'll set up 'Squeeze the Juice’ bars in Leeds, Liverpool, and Birmingham to, you guessed it, help people "squeeze the juice" out of AI. **More please:** Australia's eSafety Commissioner has accused some platforms of [not doing enough](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4181pkxl2o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to enforce the country's under-16 social media ban. It said it had "significant concerns" with the compliance of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. --- ## Data centres are losing the political battle Data centres face increasing scrutiny from Labour MPs and the Greens over climate impact, energy use and jobs ahead of a Parliamentary inquiry. A committee of MPs is asking why we need them, while mentions of them in Parliament quadrupled last year. The industry has done a poor job of countering these arguments, so far. **We agree with Ed:** “Planned data centres will produce little employment, and blight communities – plus further jeopardise our climate targets," said Green Party leader Zack Polanski in a [speech in March](https://greenparty.org.uk/2026/03/18/zack-polanski-lays-out-plans-to-back-the-caring-majority-in-major-speech/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). His argument is identical to that made by allies of the energy secretary and,[ if The Times is correct](https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/ed-miliband-labour-real-leader-ldxvrp0zw?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), the real prime minister, Ed Miliband. Miliband's former advisor and East Thanet MP[ Polly Billington](https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/polly-billington-coastal-labour-thanet-environment-data-centres-miliband?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) told Politics Home days before the Polanski speech: > "We have to ask some questions about whether we want data centres which take up an enormous amount of water, and an enormous amount of electricity, and don’t create very many jobs.” **Miliband’s revenge:** The tech department, DSIT, won its [battle last year](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c865jwpw9p4o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with Miliband’s energy department in getting a huge data centre project approved on the Teesworks site in north-east England, but Miliband’s allies are fighting back. Their argument, however, goes entirely against the government’s AI strategy. **You can't do that:** “You can’t have a situation where you have data centres asking to be powered by gas, which is clearly counter to the government’s overall decarbonisation plan,” Billington said, except this is exactly what’s happening. Gas is [their fuel of choice](https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-ai-ambitions-underpowered-data-center-newport-microsoft/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), along with backup diesel generators to cover for any power cuts. Energy network operator NESO expects their energy demand to go up between three and four fold by 2035.[ ](https://www.thetimes.com/business/economics/article/us-ambassador-britain-north-sea-oil-n6fhqw0kj?gaa%5Fat=eafs&gaa%5Fn=AWEtsqfvhNYvuClXT8WAcSC-zLmaRHwrfPmHkUsVYZuO7w6HLDKfgLvr-Wr9rc-BtSY%3D&gaa%5Fts=69c68e1b&gaa%5Fsig=JuwmIOWdF3gva0WMGQu6f11bejnUjgw6KPoBaGgY5Wmk7dSzCKk9B4P2l%5F7lkFlv33d8NKj4DQQNsJOfHcxYgg%3D%3D&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **We need an inquiry first:** Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee has a call for evidence closing on Monday on data centres' climate impact. They'll hold evidence sessions after Easter, but when the committee chair, Toby Perkins,[ opens it with the quote](https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/212132/mps-to-examine-data-centres-climate-impact-as-miliband-says-future-demand-inherently-uncertain/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk): “It’s critical that we really consider what the impacts of data centres will be before we charge into approving them en masse,” you get a sense of where this one is going to go. **Green or growth?** But fellow Labour MP Chris Curtis, who chairs the newly-formed Data Centres APPG, described the growth or green narrative as a "false choice". "A sustainable AI and digital infrastructure is at the core of our national economic growth," he said. "The question is how we can build the future of our economy and achieve our climate ambitions." **Saw this coming:** The APPG will be publishing a paper with proposals, but so far the data centre industry has done a poor job of countering environmental arguments, despite them circulating for years. Energy and water use of data centres has shot up the political agenda in the last 18 months. **Change of message needed:** Consulting firm Parisi, whose clients include data centre developers, [warns them](https://helloparisipolitics.substack.com/p/theyre-coming-for-you-data-centres) to “expect reputational scrutiny” and advises “silence is no longer a strategy”. More transparency and better data on water and energy use would help, as would dialling down the technical sell on them, while upping their community benefits. **Waiting for May:** Wins for the Greens in May's local elections and the shift to the "soft-left" in Labour will further add to the pressure to prove data centres aren't fossil-fuel guzzling behemoths. **Look at US:** The government, meanwhile, has done little to sell data centres beyond job creation claims, which isn’t their strongest point. Energy minister Michael Shanks[ told MPs in March](https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/17343/html/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that data centres wouldn’t push up energy bills, but in the US they have increased energy costs and it's become a political issue ahead of the mid-terms. The warning signs are the same here. --- That's your lot, back tomorrow. Tom ### The deal is dead, long live the deals URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/us-uk-tech-prosperity-deal-six-months-on/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T06:27:53.000Z Happy Monday from a very windy beach and welcome back to this 100% human-generated newsletter — apart from my new mate Sam who'll read it for you 👇. TMI March 30 US UK tech deal 0:00 /313.652188 1× --- ## A message from [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **SPONSORED: The UK has missed the boat on foundational AI right?** Not so fast. Meet one entrepreneurial family that thinks otherwise. London startup [Locai Labs](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has developed a UK LLM by post-training an open source model using just one node of GPUs and a tiny budget. How? Why? [**Find out more**](https://locailabs.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **and get in** [**touch with** ](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)[**them**](https://locai-labs.typeform.com/to/FfkHqUzY?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **or just chat to it at** [**GB1.ai**](https://gb1.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Incoming:** The Competition and Markets Authority is expected to publish its decision on the cloud market in the next couple of days. **Smashing the crystal ball:** Ministers are looking at whether to trigger a break clause in Palantir's controversial contract with NHS England, the [FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/2d2b1af1-edea-4fd0-a081-3811e34bc52e?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). More on struggling US-UK tech deals below. **License to ban:** Ministers are also more confident about going further on social media restrictions after last week's landmark ruling in the [US against Meta and YouTube](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c747x7gz249o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Keir Starmer told [the Observer](https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/starmer-pledges-to-ban-addictive-algorithms-that-keep-children-online?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that "addictive algorithms" should be banned and described the US case as a "turning point". The EU is already [taking steps against infinite scrolling](https://www.politico.eu/article/tiktok-meta-facebook-instagram-brussels-kill-infinite-scrolling/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Austria, meanwhile, is the latest country to say it [will ban social media for under 14s](https://www.politico.eu/article/austria-moves-towards-social-media-ban-for-under-14s/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## The deal is dead, long live the deals ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/1280px-Keir_Starmer-_Donald_Trump-_signing_tech_deal-_smiling-_UK_state_visit-_2025_-cropped-.jpg) Trump and Starmer signing the TPD in September 2025\. Credit: Number 10 Flickr via Wikimedia Commons It's six months old, but the US-UK [Technology Prosperity Deal](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-government-of-the-united-states-of-america-and-the-government-of-the-united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-north?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) has had a cursed life. Its chief architect, ex-ambassador Peter Mandelson, has disappeared in disgrace, while the relationship between the [two countries’ leaders has nosedived](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cly6glydjl8o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Right about now:** Six months after agreeing it, so about now, US and UK ministers were meant to be meeting for a "working group"; instead the deal, which was meant to usher in a new era of cooperation in AI, quantum and nuclear, is on life-support with nuclear energy the only area where talks are still happening, the [FT reported last month](https://www.ft.com/content/0992b6d0-5d10-4a7a-a505-6cda84946e6d?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **But we got the money right?** Alongside the pact in September, US companies announced [£31 billion of tech investment](https://www.politico.eu/article/us-tech-companies-uk-donald-trump-state-visit-openai-nscale-nvidia-stargate/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the UK. Those investments were not dependent on the political agreement, but they're running into delays for different reasons. **We might have to revise that date:** Nvidia said last September it would ship [up to 120,000](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/uk-ai-ecosystem-celebration/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of advanced GPUs to British data centres, funded by investments from **Microsoft, Nscale, OpenAI and CoreWeave**. But there was only a timeline on around 60,000 of those. Nvidia said in September they would come, “by 2026”, roughly split between CoreWeave and Nscale. The company wouldn't give an update when I asked last week. **Happening:** The CoreWeave project in Lanarkshire, Scotland, which could eventually take around half of those GPUs, appears to [largely be on track](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/datavita%5Flanarkshireaigrowthzone-aiinfrastructure-activity-7427677334545276930-Cxoz/?skipRedirect=true&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Work on the £1.5 billion project started in February in partnership with a company called DataVita and [in January](https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/articles/datavitas-north-lanarkshire-site-named-uk-ai-growth-zone?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) it was named as an "AI Growth Zone" by the government. **The Essex jewel:** But the centrepiece of the investment announcements - a plan by Nscale and Microsoft to build what would be Britain’s biggest data centre is [still a scaffold yard](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/09/from-press-release-to-scrap-metal-site-the-essex-supercomputer-thats-still-a-scaffolding-yard?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). That site in Loughton, Essex, was meant to house around 23,000 GPUs and be open by the start of 2027. **20 years in the making:** However, Nscale only started putting in detailed planning applications for the site last month. For a sense of how long these things take, the yard was first approved for a data centre almost 20 years ago, in 2007\. The latest application was approved in [June 2024](https://eppingforestdc.my.site.com/pr/s/planning-application/a0h8d000000NzLYAA0/epf116522?c%5F%5Fr=Arcus%5FBE%5FPublic%5FRegister&tabset-dc51c=2&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), before the Nscale investment was announced. **Planning patience:** Nscale must now get approval for more detailed applications from Epping Forest Council. That will happen but it won’t be quick. A consultation runs until mid-April, meaning approval is likely later in the second half of this year. The [initial open date](https://www.nscale.com/press-releases/nscale-uk-ai-infrastructure-announcement?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of early 2027 now looks more like a construction start date. Nscale said there were no updates on timings when I asked this month. **The update is there's none:** Much of the headline £31 billion tech deal investments comes from Microsoft which said it would invest £22 billion in the U.K. over four years. Around half of that figure would go towards capital expenditures on AI infrastructure (including the Nscale site), while the rest would support the company's UK operations. Microsoft also said it had no update when I asked earlier this month. **Pounds not promises:** “We're focused on British pounds, not empty tech promises,” Microsoft President Brad Smith [said in a press conference](https://www.politico.eu/article/us-tech-companies-uk-donald-trump-state-visit-openai-nscale-nvidia-stargate/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) last September, but delivering these projects will take years, despite the tiny timelines promised at the time. **Stars in their eyes:** Nscale was also partnering with OpenAI to create a "[Stargate UK](https://openai.com/index/introducing-stargate-uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" project - referencing the massive [AI infrastructure investments being made in the US](https://openai.com/index/announcing-the-stargate-project/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). OpenAI was meant to take up to 8,000 Nvidia GPUs at the start of this year as part of the AI Growth Zone in north-east England. OpenAI said there was no update on that when I asked last week. **Bottlenecks? We've got a few:** That OpenAI investment is relatively small, but the wider AI Growth Zones are also running into delays. Minutes from the government's AI Energy Council [meeting in December](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-energy-council-meetings-minutes/ai-energy-council-minutes-monday-1-december-2025-html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) show “supply chain bottlenecks were repeatedly identified as a major challenge”. On the government side, officials in the meeting “underlined the urgency of clearing barriers to energy supply”. The government isn’t expecting the large data centres in its designated AI Growth Zones to come fully online [until the early 2030s](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-03-10/119692?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Promises not pounds:** All this will feed into wider scepticism about the “empty tech promises” Smith himself identified and the potential of AI infrastructure projects to help transform the UK economy. More on that later in the week. --- ## Monday Movers 👩‍💻 *Get in touch to share your career updates.* **Liam Wilkinson** is leaving as [Head of AI Incubation](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lwilko%5Ftoday-was-my-last-day-at-the-incubator-for-ugcPost-7443052507016355840-ogzP?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) at the government's Incubator for AI. The **AI Security Institute,** meanwhile, is looking for a [strategy lead](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4390703722/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- **Your weekly reminder:** The Morning Intelligence is **free for another two weeks, until Monday April 13**. From that date free subscribers will still receive the newsletter each day, but will only be able to read a preview at the top. Paid subscribers get everything. The first 30 days of all paid subs are **free if taken out before April 13**. After April 13 **only seven days will be free**. [**Y**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)[**ou can upgrade anytime to a single or group sub here**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** --- Back tomorrow, Tom ### MPs want action on deepfakes URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/mps-action-ai-deepfakes-detection/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T07:27:31.000Z Happy Friday, I'm off to north Norfolk but will be publishing next week as normal apart from the bank holiday. It's been a crazy three months so I do hope you get some down time. **🎧 New feature alert:** You can now listen to The Morning Intelligence by clicking on the audio below (thanks ElevenLabs). "Sam" even sounds a bit like me. If you're reading on email, it will open in your browser. TMI Friday March 27 Deepfakes Detection 0:00 /208.222 1× --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Reviewing it:** The CMA announced [investigations into five businesses this morning](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fake-and-misleading-reviews-5-businesses-under-cma-investigation?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=e4580895-a9fa-4fc4-8fa2-daa1f2b6be6c&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) as part of a crackdown on fake and misleading online reviews. They are Autotrader, Feefo, Dignity, Just Eat and Pasta Evangelists. **This is our moment:** Online safety campaigners are viewing two landmark US court rulings [as Big Tech's "Big Tobacco moment](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andy-burrows-60256731%5Fonlinesafetyact-ugcPost-7442879745572126720-iR0O?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo)". The Molly Rose Foundation has started [a petition calling ](https://mollyrosefoundation.beaconforms.com/form/d620ac8f?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)for a new Online Safety Act. The EU, meanwhile, [has opened an investigation into Snapchat](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/26/brussels-opens-investigation-into-snapchat-amid-concern-over-childrens-safety?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) over child safety concerns. **An hour, max:** Screen time for under-5s should be limited to an hour a day, while toddlers and babies should avoid screens altogether, according to [government guidance published this morning](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-screen-time-guidance-for-parents-of-under-5s?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=b1634012-43b6-4d65-a558-dbf19f7b1811&utm%5Fcontent=immediately). Children should watch with an adult and avoid fast-paced videos, it adds. **At a loss:** Taxpayers are losing tens of billions to fraud as public bodies are failing to use the technology to fight it, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee find in a report [published this morning](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmpubacc/891/report.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It warns legacy tech, a lack of digital leadership and a failure to use data analytics means the government target of saving £6 billion a year from fraud detection is off. **You can't do that:** A US judge has temporarily blocked the Pentagon's [blacklisting of Anthropic](https://www.reuters.com/world/us-judge-blocks-pentagons-anthropic-blacklisting-now-2026-03-26/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## Deeply faked The UK's deepfake detection market needs regulatory clarity and access to training data if it's going to live up to its promise, a DSIT commissioned[ report recommends](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deepfake-detection-technology?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Waiting it out:** Despite the political focus on deepfakes, the safety tech industry thinks a lack of clarity around the Online Safety Act's application to deepfakes means platforms are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach, thus dampening the market for AI detection tools. **Alignment:** The report,[ from PUBLIC](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deepfake-detection-technology/deepfake-detection-technology?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#key-drivers-shaping-the-future), finds the UK has the second largest deepfake detection industry in the world. With so much political focus on what to do about online disinfo and deepfakes, a government leg up could help both the industry and political aims, but go too far with policies, as [Synthesia's Alexandru Voica warns](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-faces-becomes-software-policy-choices-uk-digital-alexandru-voica-ndf9e/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), and you risk harming consensual digital replicas. **Need you now:** MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee are the latest to sound the alarm, describing the UK as a “sitting duck” for online disinfo ops by hostile states. In a [report out this morning](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmfaff/703/report.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), they call for personality rights to protect against deepfakes, social media companies to make some algorithms public and for the government to create a “National Counter Disinformation Centre”. **Do this:** The committee also says the FCDO needs to apply lessons it's learned from combatting Russian disinfo in eastern Europe to the UK. Cash from the 5 percent uplift in defence spending should be used to tackle disinfo, they recommend. **We're at war:** The report analyses the disinfo threats by Russia, China and Iran, as well as non-state groups like the Wagner Group and Daesh. It describes the scale of Russian activity across the West as "a state of war", but argues the government is not being upfront with the public about it. **Come clean:** “The government hasn’t communicated the scale and depth of the threat that disinfo poses to the public. We need a bit less caution and a bit more candour," committee chair Emily Thornberry said. “As we head into the local elections, the UK must apply the lessons we learn overseas and be willing to act to protect the truth in this country.” **No shortage of ideas:** The MPs' report comes as a review into foreign interference into UK politics, the[ Rycroft Review](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-rycroft-review-report-of-the-independent-review-into-countering-foreign-financial-influence-and-interference-in-uk-politics/the-rycroft-review-report-of-the-independent-review-into-countering-foreign-financial-influence-and-interference-in-uk-politics?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), this week recommended a ban on crypto donations, tightening the regulation of online political advertising and the introduction of investigatory powers for the Electoral Commission. **Working on it:** Some of these suggestions are covered by Labour MP[ Emily Darlington's amendments](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-consults-on-teen-social-media-restrictions/) to the Representation of the People Bill, which secretary of state Steve Reed said Wednesday the government will look at. --- ## 'We're leaving talent on the table' *Carolyn Dawson is CEO of Tech Nation and Founders Forum Group, a global community of entrepreneurs. She has led London Tech Week for the last eight years and is a key figure on the UK startup scene.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/Gemini_Generated_Image_m47ckem47ckem47c-1.png) Carolyn Dawson Image: Founders Forum Group/Gemini ### **There has been a flurry of tech policy announcements since the start of the year. Which do you welcome most and where do you think the government needs to go further?** It’s been fantastic to see the level of engagement and ambition from the government on tech and AI. We had an event at Downing Street with the Chancellor last week, and I could tell that she shared our frustrations with, for example, the challenges that scale-ups face in attracting talent and accessing capital. Reforms like the expansion of the EMI scheme are already having a positive impact. Two areas where I'd push for more: First, supporting the people who've already built and exited a company and want to do it again. Right now, the tax and incentive structures don't support them. Second is [government procurement](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-goverment-sme-procurement-reform/). The government is the UK's biggest buyer. If it committed to procuring AI technologies from British companies at scale, that would do more for the sector than almost any other single intervention. ### **You work with founders across the globe. How do they view London and the UK?** London's position is definitely strengthening after what, frankly, has been a difficult spell. The UK combines access to capital, world-class talent, stability, and a government that is genuinely trying to be pro-innovation. But we can't be complacent and, while things are improving, it is still sluggish. We recently surveyed founders and found that a third of them are considering relocating outside the UK, primarily to the US, and primarily for access to capital and talent. Fixing these issues is a long-term project which is why it’s so important to start now. ### **You've been a senior leader in the industry for over 15 years. What changes, good and bad, have you seen regarding widening access to opportunity in tech?** When I started in tech, the conversation about diverse founders barely existed at an institutional level. Now it's part of how serious investors and programmes think about deal flow. At Tech Nation we've built specific programmes that support founders from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. On gender diversity, we’re seeing more women founders in deep tech, more girls taking STEM A-levels and AI adoption by women now exceeding men for work-life management. But the funding gap for women and ethnic minority founders is still stark. And geographic disparity is a huge issue too: we're leaving enormous talent and potential on the table in the North, the Midlands, in Wales and Scotland. ### **What should we expect from London Tech Week this year?** The agenda this year spans AI at scale, deep tech, frontier science, enterprise transformation and the policies shaping Europe's technological future. I think there will be a lot of interesting discussion and debate on sovereign AI. That's both a geopolitical question, but also something that’s deeply practical for every founder. ### **Give us a piece of advice you would tell your teenage self.** Care less about what people think. Go bigger. Go bolder. Push past the edge of what feels comfortable, because on the other side of that fear is the version of you that you actually want to be. The world doesn't need the quieter, smaller version of you. It needs the real one. --- Enjoy the weekend, back Monday. Tom ### AI = job cuts? Not so fast URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-job-cuts-dont-panic/ Last updated: 2026-03-26T07:27:12.000Z Good morning, it's Thursday and it's almost time for a break, but first, indulge me by reading this newsletter. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Going for Growth (Labs):** Lords will quiz DSIT minister Liz Lloyd about how the government plans to regulate for AI Growth Labs at 11am.Conservative peer Chris Holmes will [kick things off with his question](https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/ItemOfBusiness?itemOfBusinessId=167753§ionId=38&businessPaperDate=2026-03-26&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), followed by a few minutes of debate. I [reported on Tuesday](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/a-new-regulation-bill-ai-growth-labs/) that ministers were looking at a wider Regulatory Reform Bill for May's King's Speech which would include AI Growth Labs - testbeds for AI experimentation. **Not happening today:** The Competition and Markets Authority won't publish its decision on the Microsoft and AWS cloud investigation until next week. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Not bad for breakfast:** AI meeting notes app Granola is London's latest "unicorn", after it announced a Series C raise of $125 million, [valuing it at $1.5 billion](https://www.granola.ai/blog/series-c?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The round was led by Index Ventures. **Brain fry:** The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has opened an[ inquiry](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9718/neuroscience-and-digital-childhoods/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) into how digital devices affect the brain development of children and adolescents. Respond to their call for evidence by [April 19.](https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3886/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **Another day:** A jury in Los Angeles has found Meta and YouTube deliberately designed addictive products that hooked a young user and led to her being harmed, in a landmark US case. **Tech Town Update:** Barnsley Hospital will trial AI tools to cut waiting lists, while the government is also giving the area £800k for AI skills courses as part of making Barnsley the UK's first "Tech Town". **What's my age again?** Apple is bringing in age checks for iPhone users for the first time in the UK with its latest [software update](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20qwz9xzr9o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## AI equals job cuts? Not so fast Tech CEOs have spent the past year predicting an AI job apocalypse. Their own data tells a more awkward story. **The blood-bath that wasn't:** Take Anthropic, whose CEO Dario Amodei [believes AI will replace half of all white collar](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/ai-jobs-white-collar-unemployment-anthropic?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) entry roles by 2030\. The company’s [latest research](https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) shows there has been no increase since 2022 in unemployment in job sectors deemed "highly exposed" to AI. Yes, the hiring of younger workers has slowed, but in the UK this cannot just be put at AI's door. Government policies have made it[ far more expensive to ](https://www.thetimes.com/business/economics/article/uk-jobs-market-longest-run-of-staff-cuts-since-pandemic-l5qx55vsd?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)take on new staff. **Claude, do my essay:** Anthropic's UK data shows the most frequent use of its Claude chatbot is for students to draft essays and people [writing work emails](https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#country-usage%C2%A0). That doesn't suggest the start of a job apocalypse. **The chart everyone's bookmarked:** AI models also have a very long way to go to meet the coverage of tasks Anthropic theoretically thinks they can do. The blue in the chart below is how much of a job category's tasks AI could **theoretically** be used for vs. the red — what it is actually being used for. It suggests AI will remain irrelevant for many people's jobs, while in white collar work we're at the start of augmentation rather than replacement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/data-src-image-dcf42229-0a82-42ba-ab04-1b90e8e67a8a.jpeg) Credit: Anthropic **Task ≠ job:** The famous example is radiologists. Demand for [them is growing](https://www.rcr.ac.uk/media/4imb5jge/%5Frcr-2024-clinical-radiology-workforce-census-report.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), despite AI being able to automate many of their tasks. The “Jevons' Paradox” here is that as AI makes image analysis faster and cheaper, the demand for imaging has increased. **Messy is good:** That’s why I don’t feel panic when looking at the above chart. As LSE professor Luis Garicano says, [jobs are messy](https://x.com/lugaricano/status/2036245912628912132?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Exposure to tasks in the above chart doesn't mean AI will do your job because a task doesn’t equal a job. My view is that if your job ***isn’t*** messy then you should look for another one, not because of AI, but because it’s probably boring. **Nice excuse:** Companies pinning job cuts to AI’s door also have plenty of other reasons to lay off staff. The latest, Meta, has sunk $80 billion into its Metaverse project, while work in[ its AI division isn’t going to plan either](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/technology/meta-avocado-ai-model-delayed.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Block, which cut 4,000 jobs last month “because AI” has been hit[ by the slump in crypto prices](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/08/block-ai-layoffs-jack-dorsey?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). This[ Bloomberg piece](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-03-13/the-ai-washing-of-job-cuts-is-corrosive-and-confusing?embedded-checkout=true&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) picks up nicely on the ‘AI-washing’ of job cuts. **Back me up here academics:** Bleak news headlines push the narrative that AI will make much work redundant, but what does academic research show? Cosmo Santoni, a PhD student in Machine Learning at Imperial, has built a market intelligence tool called[ HiddenState](https://mosaictheory.io/blog?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) which tracks ML research and flags major trends each day. This is what his data shows: > "We are at the 'how can AI reliably complete a job' stage, not the 'replace 40% of your workforce' stage. The AI narrative from CEOs is obfuscating the truth in a lot of these headlines. I think it helps to think of it like F1\. The cars got faster but they didn't replace the driver, they just raised the bar for what's expected from a driver/team." **More work needed:** At the end of January the UK government published a[ little-noticed assessment](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessment-of-ai-capabilities-and-the-impact-on-the-uk-labour-market?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of AI’s impact on UK jobs. It found job postings fell across the economy but fell faster in high-exposure occupations. In other words hirings has slowed but AI is not causing layoffs. Its main conclusion was that more research was needed. **Early doors:** Ministers' thinking on this also seems to be at an early stage, judging by their vague statements. AI minister Kanishka Narayan[ said last month the government](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-02-20/114629?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) was "planning against a range of plausible outcomes", while tech secretary Liz Kendall told the Lords this month the best defence against AI-labour market changes was to adopt AI. **Don't do it:** There will be lots more on this in the coming months as the government's "AI Economics Institute" and "Future of Work Unit" get going. Kendall is also giving a speech about this on May 18 at the[ Institute for the Future of Work](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-the-future-work-tickets-1981715770215?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), but don't quit your job and retrain as a plasterer just yet, unless you want to get really messy of course. [](https://meet.google.com/czw-ihur-nzx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Spotted Elsewhere 👀 *A weekly round-up of interesting stuff I've read.* **Want it, can't get it:** My ex-colleague Mark Scott has teamed up with [YouGov to poll European attitudes to "digital sovereignty"](https://www.digitalpolitics.co/newsletter090free/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The takeaway is most Europeans want it, but few believe weaning off US tech is possible. **Green data:** Martha Dacombe has [another excellent piece](https://dacombe.substack.com/p/data-centres-and-the-politics-of), this time on data centres and the politics of scarcity. She argues the left can't have its cake and eat it, opposing UK data centres on environmental grounds, while also wanting less dependence on the US. **Sign me up:** China is going all in on OPCs (that's one person companies run with AI) offering them free office space, compute and loans, [Rest of the World reports](https://restofworld.org/2026/china-ai-one-person-companies-incentives/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- Thanks for reading, back tomorrow, Tom ### The start of something URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-goverment-sme-procurement-reform/ Last updated: 2026-03-25T07:27:19.000Z Happy Wednesday, I'm trying to explain to a confused five-year old that daddy wasn't alive during Viking times. Hopefully this newsletter brings you more clarity. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **News but not yet:** The Competition and Markets Authority's board meets today to decide whether to open a "strategic market status" investigation into AWS and Microsoft for cloud, but the announcement usually lags the board meeting by several days. **In Parliament:** The Lords should vote through the [Crime and Policing Bill](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938/stages?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this afternoon before it returns to the Commons after Easter recess for MPs to vote on [the chatbot amendments passed last week](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/lords-pass-new-kidron-ai-chatbot-rules/). --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Arms up:** Arm has launched its own AI chip, the first in the company's history, as it moves from design to production. The "AGI CPU" has been developed with Meta and is designed for agentic AI infrastructure, the Cambridge-based [company said](https://newsroom.arm.com/news/arm-agi-cpu-launch?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Open up:** OpenAI [wants the CMA to force Google](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69b970dcc06ba9576435ab5a/OpenAI.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to offer rival chatbots, including Chat-GPT, as choice screen options on its Android phones, as part of new rules to stem Google's search. The Telegraph [has the write-up](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/23/openai-seeks-to-muscle-in-on-googles-search-dominance/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **This is big:** A court in New Mexico has ordered [Meta to pay $375m](https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/jury-orders-meta-pay-375-mln-new-mexico-lawsuit-over-child-sexual-exploitation-2026-03-24/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) after a jury found its platforms misled users about safety and enabled child exploitation. Meta has said it will appeal. **Routine rules:** The Law Society has [published guidance](https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/ai-and-lawtech/buying-new-technology?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for lawyers to avoid "common pitfalls" when using AI. It says the majority of legal firms use AI for routine legal work but face problems with data protection, unreliable outputs and embedded bias. --- ## The start of a plan DSIT will spend up to 40 percent of its procurement budget on SMEs as it tries to use its spending power to boost UK tech firms. Each government department has been given a target to buy from SMEs which is equivalent to [about £7.4 billion of government spending by 2028](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billions-to-go-directly-to-small-businesses-across-the-country-as-government-sets-new-targets-for-spending?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **The caveat:** DSIT's target is the highest of any department, but three of its biggest tech spending programmes aren’t included in it — the National Supercomputing Service, AI Research Resource (AIRR) and Building Digital UK. There’s also no baseline to measure it against, but DSIT has said it will update in the autumn. **It’s not boring anymore:** Procurement has shot up the agenda as a sovereignty play and has been mentioned at every tech event I’ve been to this year. Tech secretary Liz Kendall described it as “the really big thing that we need to crack on with,” at the techUK policy conference last week. **So here’s the plan:** Alongside the spending target, DSIT published an [SME Action Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dsit-small-and-medium-sized-enterprise-sme-action-plan-2025-to-2028/department-for-science-innovation-and-technologys-small-and-medium-sized-enterprise-sme-action-plan-2025-to-2028?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#fn:1) yesterday, which promises to reduce procurement paperwork, speed up payments and target SMEs before awarding contracts. It will also work with Innovate UK to create industry-specific SME action plans for AI and Life Sciences. **For the early-stagers:** Through a “Commercial Innovation Hub” DSIT will also work with early-stage companies to design a procurement process suited to novel technology. A “Procurement of Innovation Playbook” will be published later this month explaining more. **Just the start:** "It’s important that this announcement is a starting point for more ambitious future spending commitments for 2028 and beyond," said Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses. --- ## Let the pilots begin Social media bans, curfews and screen limits will be tested in the homes of 300 families, the government announced overnight, the first trial of its kind in the UK. The six-week pilot will find out how three different interventions impact teenagers and family life. They are: **1) Ban it:** One group will use parental controls to remove their children's access to social media apps, mimicking a full social media ban. **2) Cap it:** The second group will be allowed to use social media for one hour a day. **3) Curfew:** The third lot will have social media blocked for their children at night from 9pm to 7am. **4) No change:** The final set of "guinea pigs" will have full social media access at all times, making them the control group. **How was it for you?** Parents and children will be interviewed at the start and end of the pilot about their family life, sleep and schoolwork. They'll also be asked about practical challenges they faced, like setting up parental controls and if their kids found a way to bypass them. **The bigger plan:** It runs alongside the consultation on social media and chatbot use which 30,000 people have filled out so far and is open until May 26\. The government will respond in the summer to that consultation and outline next steps. The government will also publish guidance for parents this week on screen time for under fives. **More to come:** The UK will also start the world’s first major scientific trial looking at the effects of reducing social media on 4,000 teenagers in a separate study funded by the Wellcome Trust later this year. That is being led by the Bradford Institute for Health Research and University of Cambridge psychologist Professor Amy Orben. --- **You know it makes sense:** The Morning Intelligence is free for everyone for another two-and-a-half weeks, **until Monday April 13**. From that date free subscribers will still receive the newsletter each day, but will only be able to read a preview at the top. Paid subscribers get everything. The first **30 days of all paid subs are** **free if taken out before April 13**. After that date **only seven days will be free**. [Y](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)[ou can upgrade anytime to a single or group sub here](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup). **For larger group subs of more than five people, please contact me and I'll sort you out.** --- Thanks for reading, back tomorrow. Tom ### Ministers mull regulation reform bill URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/a-new-regulation-bill-ai-growth-labs/ Last updated: 2026-03-24T07:27:30.000Z Good morning, I'm typing/people watching in the sunshine of a Covent Garden pub. It was idyllic until a French school trip arrived. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **In Isambard's footsteps:** AI minister Kanishka Narayan opens the [Isambard Summit in Bristol](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/isambard-summit-2026-tickets-1975093827807?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning, a two-day event exploring research made possible by the UK's most powerful supercomputer. He'll position Isambard-AI in the legacy of the industrial revolution, describing it as "national economic infrastructure, built to turn capacity into impact". **What ya been doing?** Google, TikTok, X and Meta execs will be quizzed by MPs at 9:30am about how they've responded to [misinfo and harmful algorithms since the 2024 Southport Riots](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26903?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will be asking about their progress since they last appeared before the committee in spring 2025\. Giving evidence are **Wifredo Fernández, from X , Alistair Law, from TikTok , Meta's Rebecca Stimson and Google's Zoe Darme**. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Nice:** AI data firm Encord has opened a [new London HQ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ulrik-stig-hansen-2658273b%5Fencords-new-london-hq-is-officially-open-activity-7441876733059969024--Hti/?skipRedirect=true&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), hailing the city as "one of the best places in the world to build an AI company". **Over-reliant? Moi.** Prime minister Keir Starmer said the UK was not too dependent on US tech in an exchange with Science, Innovation and Technology chair Chi Onwurah yesterday. He pushed back against Onwurah saying the country was "dangerously over-reliant" on companies like Palantir in defence, [and now finance](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-extends-reach-into-british-state-as-it-gets-access-to-sensitive-fca-data?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), as well as AWS and Microsoft in cloud. Speaking to the Liaison Committee, he did, however, say the UK needed more "domestic capability", especially in drone production. **Or else:** Tech secretary Liz Kendall has [written to tech platforms](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commitment-to-halve-violence-against-women-and-girls-letter-from-dsit-secretary-of-state-to-online-service-providers/commitment-to-halve-violence-against-women-and-girls-letter-from-dsit-secretary-of-state-to-online-service-providers?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) telling them to "make your platforms safer for women and girls" by putting in place Ofcom guidance by the year end. **AI abuse:** AI-generated images of child abuse have reached record levels, the Internet Watch Foundation finds in a [report out this morning](https://www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/news/dangerous-ai-child-sexual-abuse-reaches-record-high-as-public-backs-clampdown-on-uncensored-tools/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The UK-based watchdog identified over 8,000 images and videos last year. **The case for open:** A [report from Public First and Meta](https://ukopensourceai.publicfirst.co/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) wants the government to create a £100m Open Source AI Sovereignty Fund for SME adoption. Their research claims three-quarters of British businesses would adopt open-source AI tools, but only a third have so far. **We're doing great:** The government reckons it has either delivered or is on track to deliver all the commitments in its Digital Inclusion Plan, in an [update published](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-one-year-on/digital-inclusion-action-plan-one-year-on?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#progress-report-summary) this morning. **Annual plans:** The Competition and Markets Authority yesterday published its [full annual plan for 2026/27](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-annual-plan-2026-to-2027/annual-plan-2026-to-2027?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) pledging a "UK regulatory landscape that attracts investment and instils business confidence". --- ## Ministers mull regulation reform bill The business department is looking at how to get regulatory reforms through Parliament, including new legislation needed for AI Growth Labs, ahead of May's King's Speech. **Opportunity in disaster:** The King's Speech, where the government marks the start of a new parliamentary session by outlining its legislative agenda, is due the week after elections that polls show will be terrible for Labour. The May 7 results could spark a leadership challenge, but the King's Speech is also being viewed as another reset moment by No.10\. **We're gonna need a better name:** One option which has been looked at by the Department for Business and Trade is a regulatory reform bill, according to five industry figures, although all said details were sparse. **We'll do something:** It would include giving ministers the power to lift regulations to create AI Growth Labs — testbeds for AI experimentation where usual rules won't apply. Chancellor Rachel Reeves [said last week](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/rachel-reeves-mais-lecture-ai-vision/) that the business department was working on legislation to make that happen, but didn't confirm the timing or the method. **Package it up:** Ministers don't want to introduce AI Growth Labs through a standalone AI Bill and there are other areas of regulatory reform the government needs primary legislation for. They include an overhaul of nuclear rules to carry out the [recommendations of the Fingleton Review](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/overhaul-of-nuclear-system-to-speed-up-building-and-cut-costs?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **What else could be in it?** The business secretary Peter Kyle has also said he will strengthen the "Growth Duty" on regulators which would need legislation. At the moment regulators must have "regard" to growth when making decisions, rather than explicitly promote it. **Yes, it is a priority:** Kyle's department has a target to reduce regulatory admin on businesses by a quarter by the end of this Parliament. It published a Regulatory Action Plan last March and in [an October update](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-new-approach-to-ensure-regulators-and-regulation-support-growth/regulation-action-plan-progress-update-and-next-steps?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) said: "Where reforms... require primary legislation, we will prioritise these reforms and ensure that these are at the forefront of planning for future primary legislation through the rest of this Parliament." **We'd rather not:** Whatever it decides, a regulation bill will be hard to keep narrow, which is why the government is trying to move without primary legislation wherever it can. But that will only get it so far. --- That's your lot, Tom ### Competition Crunch URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-competition-regulator-pressure-iran-cloud-browsers/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T07:27:36.000Z Happy Monday from officially the [best place to live in Britain](https://www.thetimes.com/best-places-to-live/location-guide/article/uk-towns-cities-villages-2026-sunday-times-w5mtzdtnk?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) — although I am in London today. --- **Your weekly reminder:** A huge thanks to everyone who has taken out a paid subscription to get this thing going. The Morning Intelligence is **free for everyone for another three weeks, until Monday April 13**. From that date free subscribers will still receive the newsletter each day, but will only be able to read a preview at the top. Paid subscribers get everything. The first 30 days of all paid subs are **free if taken out before April 13**. After that date **only seven days will be free**. [**Y**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)[**ou can upgrade anytime to a single or group sub here**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Question time:** Prime minister Keir Starmer will be asked anything and everything by senior MPs on the [Liaison Committee at 2:30pm](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26799?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The focus is international affairs but there will be some tech questions as Chi Onwurah, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, is among those quizzing him. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Ready to deploy:** London-based Air Street Capital has raised [$232m to invest in European and North American AI firms](https://open.substack.com/pub/airstreet/p/fund-iii). It is the VC firm's third round and makes it the biggest solo general partner fund in Europe. Founder Nathan Benaich's previous investments include Synthesia, ElevenLabs and Wayve. **It's Brittin:** Ex-Google boss Matt Brittin will be the new director general of the BBC, [The Times reports](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/media/article/google-boss-matt-brittin-bbc-director-general-56rs6drdq?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Brittin led Google in EMEA until 2024\. **Monday cheer:** Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, who now has advisory roles at Anthropic and Microsoft, [has warned of AI](https://www.thetimes.com/business/economics/article/rishi-sunak-cut-taxes-on-jobs-to-save-workers-from-ai-s83d6k228?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) causing "socially destructive, and politically destabilising, levels of unemployment", if jobs taxes aren't cut. Although AI companies themselves can't stop hiring, [with the FT](https://www.ft.com/content/7ffea5b4-e8bc-47cd-adb4-257f84c8028b?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) reporting OpenAI plans to double its global headcount this year. **Actually there is some good news:** Cambridge researchers [have developed a type of nanoelectronic device](https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/new-computer-chip-material-inspired-by-the-human-brain-could-slash-ai-energy-use?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) which could slash the energy consumed by AI hardware. **Face time:** Darts wunderkid Luke Littler wants to [trademark his face](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y7374x9n4o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) with the Intellectual Property Office to stop it being used by deepfakes. --- ## Competition crunch The CMA's board meets on Wednesday to decide what to do about the cloud market, but it has even more immediate priorities. The antitrust watchdog is under pressure from the Treasury to [respond to rising](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cma-response-to-economic-impacts-of-the-conflict-in-the-middle-east?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=eafca0b9-c124-4679-8b63-0eec7fca7d95&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) fuel prices caused by the Iran War. **One big (tech) fight:** Alongside reacting to the economic crisis, there are last-minute lobbying efforts on the CMA ahead of the decision on its cloud investigation. Amazon and Microsoft both argue that the UK cloud market is working well and no intervention is needed. Google, meanwhile, which has a smaller but growing share of the market, is urging the CMA to take action against its rivals. **Third time lucky:** If its board decides to open a "strategic market status" investigation into Microsoft and Amazon on Wednesday, it will be the CMA's third since it was given new powers to intervene in digital markets - but work on its previous investigations is already falling behind. **Almost four years later:** Take mobile browsers, which it's been investigating [since 2022](https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/mobile-browsers-and-cloud-gaming?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Its inquiry initially found competition concerns in 2024, but in the CMA's draft annual plan for 2026/27 it is mentioned once in 24 pages. **Just browsing thanks:** The regulator was meant to set out in the first half of this year its next steps to open up competition in mobile browsers, which is dominated by Apple and Google, but [last month it only put forward voluntary commitments](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-secures-commitments-from-apple-and-google-to-improve-fairness-in-app-store-processes-and-enhance-ios-interoperability?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for the two companies to follow on mobile app stores, ignoring mobile browsers and browser engines. This is making companies like Mozilla, which has been lobbying for action, nervous. **Tracking it:** Kush Amlani, Director of Global Competition at Mozilla, said he feared the Apple and Google example meant work on the second part of the investigation, which is meant to cover mobile browsers and browser engines, is being pushed back. **Yes, Iran, but:** "We're worried that there are so many pressures being put on regulators that some important things might get missed," added Linda Griffin, Mozilla's VP of Global Policy. "But if you think about the bigger geopolitics, having a non-profit browser engine at the table, being able to compete fairly, is important for all of us." **Be more like EU:** Mozilla is the only company outside of Google and Apple which runs and operates its own browser engine, Gecko, and Griffin argues that creates a "sovereignty" issue. It also has its own web browser, Firefox, which it said saw a 100 percent increase in daily active users in France and Germany when the EU introduced browser choice screens in 2024\. This is Griffin's pitch: > "We're asking the CMA to implement what they spent three years looking at. We believe you can create a lot of benefits further down the line, especially when I think about things like agentic AI. Browsers are important, yesterday, today, and we think increasingly tomorrow, in terms of where the web is going. We really want to fix that infrastructure." **Spread thin:** "Fixing" long-term competition concerns, dealing with the aftershocks of war and opening a new digital markets investigation means the CMA is under pressure on multiple fronts. Whatever it decides to do Wednesday, it will either upset Google or Amazon and Microsoft, but the work its digital markets unit has already spent years on needs to progress. --- ## Monday Movers 👩‍💻 *Get in touch to share your career updates.* **He's back: Henry de Zoete** has returned to government as an[ adviser on investment and AI in DSIT](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/henry-de-zoete-obe-aa01835%5Fpleased-to-be-rejoining-the-civil-service-share-7439601697523560452-8WIN?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) where he’ll be working with the Sovereign AI Unit. The former SpAd also advised the Conservative government on AI and helped organise the Bletchley Park Summit in 2023\. **Fergus Cameron Watt** is the latest Global Counsel alumni to [join FGS Global](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fergus-cameron-watt-a88875171%5Fafter-a-short-break-delighted-to-announce-share-7439305768459223041-2kmN?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo ). **Help needed:** The MoD wants [a chief AI officer](https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi?SID=cGFnZWFjdGlvbj12aWV3dmFjYnlqb2JsaXN0Jm93bmVydHlwZT1mYWlyJnVzZXJzZWFyY2hjb250ZXh0PTE3OTA1MjU3OSZzZWFyY2hwYWdlPTImc2VhcmNoc29ydD1vcGVuaW5nJnBhZ2VjbGFzcz1Kb2JzJmpvYmxpc3Rfdmlld192YWM9MTk4OTMxMSZvd25lcj01MDcwMDAwJnJlcXNpZz0xNzczODM1NzAxLTEwZTA5MDcyNjk5NDc1MWE5ZTE0MGI2YzRkM2ZjOGE0ZGQwYzgwNzU=&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), while the CMA is [looking for new panel members](https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8488?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#about-the-appointment). --- **Sorry I didn't stay up:* I've updated my report from* [*Thursday March 19 on the Lords*](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/lords-pass-new-kidron-ai-chatbot-rules/) *vote to regulate AI chatbots to reflect that government amendments also passed in a separate vote at 1am that morning. I promise to never go to bed again.* --- Back tomorrow, Tom ### 'I've raised $50m but won't leave for US' URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/steve-basher-solve-ai-interview/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T07:27:10.000Z Happy Friday, it's been a hectic week of news, so I'm changing the pace today 😎. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Forecast for next week:** My main focus is on what the Competition and Markets Authority decides to do with its [cloud investigation](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-cloud-inquiry-chair-kip-meek-quits/) into **Microsoft and Amazon**. Its board will likely decide Tuesday or Wednesday whether to do a "strategic market status" investigation. **In Parliament:** The **prime minister** will be quizzed by committee chairs on the [Liaison Committee on Monday](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26799?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**,** including Chi Onwurah, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. On **Tuesday**, MPs will have plenty of questions for execs from **Meta, X, TikTok and Google** [about harmful algorithms](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26903?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). On **Wednesday**, the Crime and Policing Bill has its [third reading in the Lords](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54881?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Peers will talk on [**Thursday** about the government's AI Growth Lab](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54827?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), which Rachel Reeves said this week would be taken forward in a bill. **Meet Isambard:** There is a [summit in Bristol](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/isambard-summit-2026-tickets-1975093827807?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about the UK's fastest supercomputer, Isambard, on Tuesday and Wednesday. ***Full*** [***calendar here***](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/)***.*** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Banking on AI:** HSBC could cut up to 20,000 roles - 10 percent of its staff - over the next few years as it bets on AI to shrink back office jobs, [Bloomberg reports](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-19/hsbc-mulls-deep-job-cuts-from-multiyear-ai-fueled-overhaul?embedded-checkout=true&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Where we rank:** Middle and lower income countries view AI far more positively than those living in wealthier nations, according to [research by Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/features/81k-interviews?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It has published data covering 81,000 people in 159 countries giving each nation a score of how positively they view AI. For the UK, it was 63 percent positive, below the global average but on par with the US and other higher income countries. **LFR pause:** Essex Police have paused using live facial recognition cameras after finding they were more likely to target black people, [the Guardian reports](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/19/essex-police-pause-facial-recognition-camera-use-study-racial-bias?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Under the microscope:** The Competition and Markets Authority is [investigating Adobe](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-investigates-adobe-over-concerns-about-cancellation-fees?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about concerns early cancellation fees on some membership plans may breach consumer protection law. --- ## 'You need an almost delusional belief in your own success' *Steve Basher founded* [*SolveAI*](https://solve.ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)*, an enterprise coding tool, last summer. The ex-Palantir engineer raised his first $5m with no team and no product, followed by a further $45m. The 31-year old tells us why he built in London, what policies need to change and why his ex-employer Palantir is great for future founders.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/Gemini_Generated_Image_nirmghnirmghnirm-1.png) SolveAI's founder Steve Basher. Image: SolveAI/Gemini ### **You went from zero to a $50m raise in eight months. How did you do it?** I had no contacts but I started to very loosely speak to the VC world a couple months before I left Palantir. What helped me a lot was Palantir was getting very well-known for producing founders. Then I connected with people on LinkedIn that I knew were from respectable firms who seemed like they were well-suited to my area. It helped me that there was alignment among VCs on the broader hypothesis that a company like SolveAI will exist. Then it became more a case of why me versus why the idea. ### **What are the advantages of founding in London?** I very heavily considered starting in San Francisco. It always used to be that it was much easier to raise if you were Valley-based. I don't think that's true anymore, which is a blessing. You get very serious investors in London and it is incredibly well set up as a tech hub, provided we do our part from a policy and government perspective. You're able to hire incredibly good people without the same insane level of competition as San Francisco. ### **What are some of those policies that you think the government needs to get on top of?** We need to incentivise and encourage people to found here. That is not an easy thing to do, but if you look at why people found in the US, it's access to the market, it's the tax, it’s the legal system. We need to make things easier here; easier for founders from abroad to get visas and incentivise those founders by doubling down on tax relief. We also need to just reduce red tape around setting up and running a business. ### **How much do you feel founders are born and how much is it experience that leads you to that point?** I think it's probably equal parts nature and environment. I came from very little so I think that helped. I grew up in a council house in Hampshire. My parents are window cleaners. They're lovely people, but we've never had a lot. Throughout my childhood and teenage life, I had to work. I was entrepreneurial as a kid, I was teaching myself how to build websites when I was 12/13 and figuring out how to sell them online. I was presenting myself as a company - Steve's Web Design! ### **Palantir, for most people, is a mysterious place and there are a lot of controversial headlines about the company.** Palantir is an incredible company and it's misunderstood a lot. ### **What are we misunderstanding?** The idea that Palantir is some kind of data mining company is just false. It does work with Israel. It does work with ICE, it does do defence and there are use cases of power here that a lot of people wouldn't feel morally aligned to. That is every individual's decision. I never worked on any of those projects. I think Palantir is always very open that it is supporting democracy by helping whichever government is in power because it’s been voted in. I got a lot of value out of Palantir because of how it was run. It was very meritocratic. There was a zero-bullshit culture. There's a lot of autonomy which sort of self selects for entrepreneurs. It also means you get a ton of responsibility super early. ### **How much of that culture have you taken to SolveAI?** There are two things. I think it's wrong to just not have opinions because you're worried about repercussions. I think that's actually not how you build a successful, impactful company. But the big thing I've taken from Palantir is how we build a successful culture. People should always feel free to come up and tell me what I'm doing wrong, to have autonomy, to be their own unique self, and to be rewarded for their part in the company's growth. ### **Give us some advice you'd give to your teenage self.** The two things I'd say are don't ever lose the extreme ambition and almost delusional belief in your own success. I'm not spiritual at all, but manifestation is real in a cause-and-effect way. If you truly believe something without arrogance, but with faith, and as a result, you work hard, then I think that that breeds success and breeds luck. Second, there's a piece here around maturing as early as you can. Most teenagers are very emotionally driven. So 31-year-old Steve would say, if I had less emotional drive in me as a teenager and had more ability to be objective, I think it would have saved me some time. --- ## AI-Copyright? Our panel has cracked it 😉 Thanks to everyone who [joined our first Q&A yesterday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD4XqaeA7fs&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), covering the AI-Copyright update. There was a surprising amount of agreement between our four expert panelists despite coming from different sectors and sides of the debate. Catch up with our panel and Q&A on the AI-Copyright update **The panel's main messages were:** \-The government's "wait-and-see" position which it took in Wednesday's update was understandable but not helpful. It needs to set stricter timelines now. \-A commercial research text and data mining exception would be difficult to justify and wouldn't solve the problems it's meant to address. All agreed that transparency was crucial to public trust in AI. \-Stop treating this solely as a copyright policy issue. It is not simply a binary fight between tech companies and the creative industries. **William Bowes (YouGov)** argued that other policy tools like tax credits, database rights reform and fixing the content market place haven't been adequately explored. **Ann Kristin Glenster (University of Cambridge)** took a more long-term approach and called for a strategic vision from the government on where AI and copyright fits with its wider policies. **Doniya Soni-Clark (techUK)** emphasised the cost of delay and uncertainty to tech investment,while **Richard Mollet (RELX)** argued a growing licensing market already exists and works. **Thanks to RELX for sponsoring and for all the great audience questions.** --- Wishing you all brilliant weekends. Back Monday. Tom ### Lords pass new AI chatbot rules URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/lords-pass-new-kidron-ai-chatbot-rules/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T10:20:21.000Z Good morning from the proud owner of a new bathroom. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **See you at 10:** We're hosting an [online panel and Q&A at 10am](https://luma.com/srgpofdy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)today, sponsored by RELX, on the government's **AI-Copyright update** with **experts from techUK, the University of Cambridge, YouGov and RELX**. [**Watch live here**](https://luma.com/join/eh-EBy0KKyoitb8OKd?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** **In Parliament:** There's a [backbench debate](https://whatson.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-19/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the Commons on tackling online harms, led by Lib Dem MP Ian Sollom. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Adopting, not firing:** More than half of UK firms are using AI, a leap from a third last year, according to [research by the British Chambers of Commerce](https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Powering-Productivity-AI-and-the-Future-of-UK-Work%5FFINAL.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Those firms are also reporting productivity increases and no impact on workforce size. But the minority of SMEs going deeper on AI adoption (one in ten) are more likely to expect headcount reductions. **Cash for Manchester:** "Hundreds of millions" will be invested in the Manchester Digital Campus, making it a centre of government in the North West, [the Treasury said](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-backs-the-norths-industrial-strengths-with-new-investments?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=b61e4621-ff4e-46c2-82f9-7d94fad4546b&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) overnight. It will be home to 8,800 civil servants on a disused brownfield site in the Ancoats area. The British Business Bank, meanwhile, will invest more than £150 million into high potential companies in Northern clusters. --- ## Lords pass strict AI chatbot rules The House of Lords rebelled against the government last night and voted for strict new rules on AI chatbots. **What just happened?** Amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which create a new legal framework for AI chatbots, cleared the house by 203 votes to 148 just before 8pm (that's dinner time if you're a peer). They were put forward by cross-bench peer Beeban Kidron, but are unlikely to pass through the Commons and become law because of the government's large majority. **Not good enough:** Kidron argued the government's attempt to close a legal loophole around AI chatbots had "no oversight, no time limit, no scrutiny". It gives the secretary of state wide-ranging power to amend the Online Safety Act (so-called "Henry VIII powers"), something many peers spoke out against. She challenged the government to "come back with something better" if it couldn't accept her plan. **Her amendments set new standards which go beyond the Online Safety Act. They make it:** \-an offence to supply a chatbot which produces content promoting terror offences, threatens national security or public safety. Individual creators of chatbots are personally liable and can be jailed for breaches. \-an offence to provide generative AI search services which produce illegal content and content harmful to a child (if the user is a child) **Come out fighting:** Speaking for the government, home affairs minister David Hanson said Kidron had good intentions but there were "serious practical and legal concerns" with her plan as it would only apply to UK-based companies and have an "extremely low threshold for criminality". He argued promoting legal violence such as a boxing match would be in scope. **Fancy a game?** Hanson later put forward the government's alternative approach to regulating chatbots which [passed at 1am by 83 votes to 64](https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-03-18/debates/C9F70B7A-3723-4DEB-869B-F641A8E86A1B/CrimeAndPolicingBill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), meaning both versions will now to the Commons for MPs to vote on\*.The amendments will then return to the Lords for another vote in a process known as "ping-pong". --- ## Wait and see Ministers no longer have any favoured options on AI and Copyright, after confirming yesterday that their previously preferred choice of "opt out" is no longer the chosen one, but publishers are warning of another danger. **Make an exception:** The government's overall position is a "[nothing in, nothing out](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-copyright-update/)" reset, as I reported Friday. It didn't rule out new exceptions to current Text and Data Mining restrictions, something rights-holders had been calling for. Indeed the final section of the[ report it published yesterday](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69ba692226909a14239612e4/CP2602959%5F-%5FReport%5Fon%5FCopyright%5Fand%5FArtificial%5FIntelligence%5Fweb.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) suggested a commercial research exception could be the way forward. It reads: > A focused exception for science and research could make AI-driven scientific research easier, accelerating the discovery of new medicines, or supporting advances in fields such as climate modelling. **Actually the worst:** That has already angered the News Media Association whose chief executive Owen Meredith described it as "even more harmful" than the "opt out" option. So much for that reset, eh? **Keeping us busy:** In her [statement to Parliament](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-03-18/hcws1416?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), tech secretary Liz Kendall wrote: “We reject any suggestion that we must choose between our creative industries and the UK’s AI sector. Both are central to the government’s industrial strategy and vital to the UK’s future prosperity." **She outlined** **four areas for the "next phase" of work. They are:** *1) A consultation this summer on digital replicas* *2) A taskforce to suggest proposals on labelling AI-generated content followed by a report this autumn* *3) A review of the ways for creators to control their works online* *4) A working group on independent and smaller creative organisations to explore how to support content licensing.* **Wait and see:** The government's overall conclusion is it's too early to legislate and they will watch court cases in the US and developments in the EU. The cynic would say they're making it a problem for a future government after any Labour leadership contest in May. The pragmatic view is they don't have the political capital to take solutions forward. This "wait and see" approach was criticised by techUK's deputy chief executive Antony Walker: > "With international competitors moving ahead, the UK cannot afford for this to remain unresolved," he said. "The UK has set its sights on leading the G7 in AI adoption, but that requires a clear and enabling framework for AI innovation - and getting AI and copyright right is central to that ambition." **Join us** [**at 10am to discuss**](https://meet.google.com/czw-ihur-nzx?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- ## Spotted Elsewhere 👀 *A weekly round-up of interesting stuff I've read.* **What I learned:** Tom Westgarth has a [great blog](https://tomwestgarth.substack.com/p/accurate-maps-wrong-country?r=4hw6c&utm%5Fmedium=ios&triedRedirect=true) on his experience working in government last year on the AI Opportunities Action Plan and setting up the Sovereign AI Unit. It includes lots of advice on how to get stuff done. **Hear, hear:** "The way we are narrating this (AI) moment is doing serious societal harm," argues Judith Dada on her [excellent Substack](https://substack.com/home/post/p-191245176?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), arguing for a fresh framing on AI. **One chart, many takes:** The FT's data king John Burn-Murdoch has [broken down](https://www.ft.com/content/2cd79c2c-d1f0-4417-a06f-2572868ee858?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that viral Anthropic chart. --- **Just FYI:** The Morning Intelligence is **free for everyone until** **Monday April 13**. From that date free subscribers will still receive the newsletter each day, but will only be able to read a preview at the top. The first 30 days of all paid subscriptions are free if taken out before April 13\. After that date only seven days will be free. **Y**[**ou can upgrade anytime to a single or group subscription here**](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal/signup)**.** --- Thanks for reading, Tom ***\*The article has been updated to reflect the fact that both Kidron's and the government's amendments passed.*** ### Opting out URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-ai-copyright-update/ Last updated: 2026-03-18T13:24:59.000Z Happy Wednesday, another day and another big gov AI announcement is incoming. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **In Parliament:** A written ministerial statement will drop this morning updating on AI and Copyright. (**More below**). MPs will [quiz tech ministers](https://commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/103063/Html?subType=Standard&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 11:30am at DSIT questions. **London-bound:** UK Tech week rolls into Westminster with roundtables and panels. Full [agenda here](https://uktechweek.org/events/?%5Fsfm%5Fdate=20260318&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Evening plans:** The Lords have a chance this evening to out vote the government on regulating AI chatbots. Perennial thorn in ministers' sides, Beeban Kidron, has a [host of amendments](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938/stages/20491/amendments/10033056?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to the Crime and Policing Bill which would make it a criminal offence to build a chatbot which produces "illegal content" as defined under the Online Safety Act. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Get applying:** AI startups can [apply from today](https://forms.microsoft.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=BXCsy8EC60O0l-ZJLRst2Eydm-I-QFpJg3L17QOWL2xUOVI4ME5NRkkwVzQzQVJSS1YxRTlNU1BZUC4u&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for access to some of the most powerful computing capacity in the country through the government’s AI Research Resource (AIRR). Around 10 per cent of AIRR’s capacity - powered by the Isambard‑AI and DAWN supercomputers - is being opened up to startups through the Sovereign AI Unit. **Summer planning:** Rachel Reeves has announced an AI Adoption Summit this June during London Tech Week as well as the formation of an AI Economics Institute. (**More below**). **You're doing it all wrong:** London-based UnlikelyAI has a survey out this morning of 1,000 UK execs claiming that employees are becoming ***less efficient*** because of AI. It reckons staff are spending so long verifying or redoing AI outputs that it is leading to "AI burnout". **Banned:** The advertising regulator has banned an advert for a video editing tool that suggested users could digitally remove a woman's clothing, the [BBC reports](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2g8888q53o?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## Opting out The government will try to reset the AI-Copyright debate this morning when they update Parliament on next steps. There have been contradictory briefings about the update but ultimately their previously preferred "opt out" option is dead for now. **Confusion:** I [reported on Friday](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-copyright-update/) that there wasn't agreement within government on what to do next and that appears to have resulted in conflicted briefings. Some insiders were told that the government's previously preferred option of copyright holders having to actively request that their works be excluded from AI training datasets - "opt out" - will be gone for good, while others have been told the update will only confirm that "opt out" is no longer the preferred option. **Dead anyway:** The latest I hear is that the latter, i.e. ruling "[nothing in, nothing out](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-copyright-update/)" is still the case, but regardless it is hard to see any way forward for "opt out" whether it is ruled out completely or not. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said as much in January when she confirmed they had no "workable" solutions for it. **Watching nervously:** Rights holders will also be looking out for any hint of potential future changes to the Text and Data Mining exceptions. Without "opt out", changes would be limited, but are still possible, and very unpopular with creatives. **Chop chop:** MPs will have about five minutes at the end of DSIT questions at 11:30am today to ask about the update, although the opposition front bench will surely ask too and there could be an "urgent question" in Parliament on it later. The actual update will be in a written ministerial statement this morning. (Do they not think of morning newsletter writers?) **Get some fresh takes:** Join our [online Q&A tomorrow at 10am](https://luma.com/srgpofdy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), **sponsored by RELX**, to hear from an expert panel on today's update. We'll be joined by **Doniya Soni-Clark,** Associate Director of External Affairs at techUK, **Richard Mollet**, Head of European Government Affairs at RELX and **William Bowes**, General Counsel at YouGov and co-founder of the AI Manifesto. --- ## Some news, actually AI Growth Labs, buying more from UK tech companies and regional "growth corridors" — there was plenty for AI firms to cheer in Rachel Reeves' [big speech yesterday afternoon](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/mais-lecture-2026?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=82c333e7-01f9-46c9-ba60-e18420c80bc5&utm%5Fcontent=immediately). **In case you weren't watching:** The chancellor's Mais Lecture started with a diagnosis for the country's ills: a "passive state" which was "ill equipped for technological change". Then came her solutions,split into regional growth, AI, and tighter EU ties. **Clarity:** She described the government's AI strategy as four-fold: **build enough compute, compete "fiercely" where we have strengths, adoption, and skill up the population.** **Nice lines:** She promised government would favour buying from British firms, describing procurement as a "startup launch pad" and not a "cheque for global incumbents". She added: > "We won't build a sovereign wall to shelter behind, but rather a sovereign edge." **You already knew this:** Reeves confirmed what this [briefing told you yesterday](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/rachel-reeves-mais-lecture-ai-vision/) ( 😉) on AI Growth Labs, with the business department working on legislation to make them happen. **Shades of grey:** That delighted the likes of the Startup Coalition, with its deputy executive director Vinous Ali saying: "We often think of regulation as black and white but for our founders there are lots of grey areas. Any steps the government takes to de-risk innovation and give confidence to the market is hugely welcome." **See you in June:** Reeves also announced an AI Adoption Summit this June during London Tech Week and an AI Economics Institute - based on the AI Security Institute model - to examine the impact on jobs and productivity. It will work with the Future of Work Unit in DSIT. **Good policy doesn't need clichés:** Politicians love to talk about building the next "Silicon Valley" and Reeves was at it yesterday in her framing of the Ox-Cam corridor whose funding is being doubled to £800m for buying land and building infrastructure. It will be one of several new ‘growth corridors’ across the country, which includes creating a digital campus in Manchester. **Not bad:** Antony Walker, Deputy CEO of techUK, described Reeves' announcements as a "significant step forward", but also called for more alignment between tech and energy policy, as well as a "practical, pro-innovation approach" to copyright. --- Thanks for reading, over and out, Tom ### Not Washington, not Beijing URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/rachel-reeves-mais-lecture-ai-vision/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T07:27:52.000Z Good morning and happy birthday to my mum (who doesn't read this newsletter). Happy St Patricks's Day to everyone else. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Don't skip it:** Chancellor Rachel Reeves has a raft of announcements timed for her [Mais Lecture](https://www.linkedin.com/events/7439303890400948224/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 1:30pm covering AI, quantum, the Ox-Cam corridor and closer ties with Europe. **Lots more below.** **Why the UK?** AI minister Kanishka Narayan is selling the [UK as an investment location](https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/session-catalog/sessions/gtc26-s82400/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at Nvidia GTC at 10am. He'll talk about how AI Growth Zones will "fast-track" data centre development and the Sovereign AI Unit’s plans. **In Parliament:** MPs [quiz science minister Patrick Vallance](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26819/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about tech sovereignty, diplomacy and research funding cuts at 1:30pm. In the Lords, peers continue their inquiry into [AI personalised medicines at 10:15am](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26831?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Scaling:** Nscale has bought a [massive compute campus](https://www.nscale.com/press-releases/nscale-acquires-american-intelligence-power-corporation?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in West Virginia and agreed with Microsoft to deliver 1.35 GW of AI compute from it. **Greens lean in:** The Green Party wants ministers to stop "kicking the can down the road" on AI and copyright. Deputy leader Rachel Millward said by doing so the government was "effectively handing power to a small number of US Big Tech firms". **💡 Join our** [**online Q&A this Thursday at 10am**](https://luma.com/srgpofdy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**, sponsored by RELX, to hear from an expert panel on the AI-Copyright update.** --- ## Not Washington, not Beijing Chancellor Rachel Reeves will today put AI and a "strategic state" at the heart of her economic vision, while also taking a swipe at both Silicon Valley billionaires and Chinese state capitalism. The numbers, however, deserve a closer look. Reeves has a raft of announcements for this afternoon's [Mais Lecture](https://www.linkedin.com/events/7439303890400948224/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and will claim that the UK will "win" the AI adoption race, although none of the funding appears to be for AI adoption. The announcements include: **\-An extra £1 billion to buy quantum computers over the next decade.** **\-A "Olympics-style regeneration" for the Ox-Cam corridor, delivered through a government-backed development firm.** **\-An update on AI Growth Labs and wider plans for AI adoption.** **Not that we're counting:** The Treasury has inflated the funding in today's news from £1 billion to £2.5 billion by adding the Sovereign AI Unit's £500m and the £1 billion announced last year for quantum. But the more interesting stuff is Reeves' framing rather than the Treasury's maths. **On AI, she'll say:** > “The choice is this: we can bury our heads in the sand and leave it to other countries - whose values may differ from ours - to shape and own this technology. We can leave it to the market alone, and let the balance of risk and reward be determined by a super-wealthy few. Or we can chart our own course." **Back to 'securonomics':** Although not naming them, she views AI as too important to be left to US billionaires or the Chinese state to dominate and reckons the UK can find a third way between the two. She will also argue that Britain has the power to shape its future more widely, while calling for closer ties with the EU. "Our method is stability, investment and reform – through an active and strategic state," she'll say. **AI legislation (sort of):** Reeves will also mention AI Growth Labs, according to two people familiar with her speech. It follows a [call for evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/ai-growth-lab/ai-growth-lab?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#next-steps) at the end of last year which looked at how to give ministers the power to remove rules to create AI testbeds, so-called "sandboxes" where companies can develop AI products without worrying about regulation. But they will need primary legislation, meaning there should be something in the next King's Speech. **Sell or else:** Reeves will also build on previous pledges to make the area between Oxford and Cambridge the "Silicon Valley of Europe", by forcing landowners to sell up through compulsory purchase powers, the [FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/3c4e8071-808c-458f-ad2a-76c6bc167878?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Keep up:** The government announced yesterday it is [investing £45 million in a 1.4MW](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/45m-for-uks-first-ai-supercomputer-to-accelerate-fusion-energy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) supercomputer at the AI Growth Zone in Culham, Oxfordshire, to work on fusion energy. Named ‘Sunrise’, it should be in operation in June this year and will be the world’s most powerful supercomputer dedicated to fusion energy. --- ## Competing visions Tech secretary Liz Kendall and Reform's policy chief Zia Yusuf offered two very political visions of AI at yesterday's techUK policy conference. **Tech for all:** Kendall contrasted the optimism of the tech industry with public fear about safety and job displacement. "The challenge we have isn't a technical challenge, it is a challenge to show that we can make tech work for all," she said. Kendall said she believed in an "active" Labour government to make that happen, but oddly was not asked about AI and Copyright despite an update coming on that tomorrow. **Tech or die:** Reform's Zia Yusuf, meanwhile, framed AI in stark national security terms, arguing the UK was "unilaterally disarming" through its high energy costs. He warned Britain would become a "vassal state to the Chinese Communist Party" in 20 years if it didn't change course. His main target was the net-zero policies under Ed Miliband and before that, the Conservatives. **Thanks but no thanks:** In a short interview with me afterwards, he called for the government to own and manage more compute capacity, he said: "We want to feel comfortable that no foreign nation could hobble our ability to run those data centres." He added: "I love the Americans... but I don't want Britain to be reliant on any other country for our national security." **Happy days:** The SNP's **Kate Forbes** brought strong last day of school vibes in her appearance (she's stepping down in a few days). Forbes popped in from her party's London conference which was being held on the floor below to **talk about how the SNP had supported** tech in Scotland. **Please help:** The Conservatives' **Ben Spencer,** meanwhile,said he had "no idea" what workforce disruption AI would cause and said he wanted help from the tech industry on that. He was, however, more convinced about the need to curb social media access for under-16s and said it would need a standalone bill, rather than the government's approach of adding amendments to existing bills. --- **Happy to clarify:** Yesterday's edition said the new Data Centre APPG represented developers. It is, however, aiming to bring together parliamentarians and people across the data centre industry. --- Thanks for reading, back in your inbox tomorrow. Tom ### Down on Labour, bullish on Britain URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/tech-uk-policy-conference-firms-survey/ Last updated: 2026-03-18T15:12:04.000Z Happy Monday and welcome back. My shower is fixed so don't be afraid to say hi if you're at the techUK conference today. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **In London:** Reform's Zia Yusuf and tech secretary Liz Kendall are among the speakers at [techUK's policy conference](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/tech-policy-conference-2026.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). (**More below**). **In California:** Nvidia GTC starts with a keynote from the company's boss Jensen Huang. He's expected to unveil a new chip system for inference developed with Groq, The Information reports. AI minister Kanishka Narayan [speaks virtually tomorrow](https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/session-catalog/sessions/gtc26-s82400/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) about the UK's ambitions. **Closer to home:** [UK Tech Week](https://uktechweek.org/events/uk-tech-week-official-launch-event-2/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) kicks off in Manchester, The [AI Standards Hub](https://aistandardshub.org/global-summit-2026/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Global Summit starts in Glasgow, while Cambridge Festival has an event on [AI and digital policy](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-cambridge-to-the-world-ai-and-digital-policy-tickets-1983072356802?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **In Parliament:** MPs on the [Public Accounts Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26148?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) quiz Treasury and Business and Trade officials on how regulators are meant to be promoting growth. Liz Kendall gives a written statement on the government's media literacy action plan. **Copyright chat:** Where does the UK go next on AI and Copyright? **The Morning Intelligence** is getting together an expert panel, **sponsored by RELX**, to go through this question on Thursday. [Register here](https://luma.com/srgpofdy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Search for the Holy Grail:** Science minister Patrick Vallance will announce Britain's Nuclear Fusion Strategy today, pledging [£2.5 billion of investment](https://www.thetimes.com/article/5a211586-bdc3-4a00-80dd-ee136e6f0242?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Views wanted:** A new group on data centres has launched in Parliament with a [call for evidence](https://datacentresappg.co.uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to shape its work. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Data Centres, chaired by Labour MP Chris Curtis, will focus on investment, energy and planning. **That's big:** Meta is planning to lay-off up to 20 percent of staff, as it tries to offset the cost of its AI spending, [Reuters reports](https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/meta-planning-sweeping-layoffs-ai-costs-mount-2026-03-14/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## Down on Labour, bullish on Britain Ministers have a massive job on their hands to convince businesses the government is on their side, a survey of 500 firms published this morning shows. But there are also reasons for hope. **Not feeling the Londonmaxxing:** TechUK has published research timed for its policy conference revealing 84% of tech firms are unconvinced that economic growth really is a top government priority. **Wishlist:** More than half say Britain's operating environment makes growing their business difficult, while almost half (45 percent) said they were looking to move investment outside the UK. Their top priorities for policy changes were **slashing business taxes, cutting energy costs, expanding AI skills programs and simplifying regulation**. **Big on Britain:** Achieve that, and 80 percent believe their profits would increase and 65 percent say they'd increase hiring. The biggest cause of optimism was almost three-quarters believing British tech will outperform international competitors over the next decade. **Feeling the Londonmaxxing:** London is also the most dominant European AI hub by every measure in a separate report out today. The State of AI in Europe has the capital soaring ahead of other European cities on the number and value of AI unicorns and startups, while Cambridge also ranks highly. **No paradox:** Being down on the government but bullish about Britain's longer term prospects is not as paradoxical as it first sounds. The best case I've seen is from one of the country's most successful VCs, Saul Klein, in his [mercifully concise note](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UYxlh3T82x5xSYlxZgVihF9AU0mdCEfd5mB3I6oodIM/edit?tab=t.0&ref=themorningintelligence.uk#heading=h.a9ctz2enecyx). **Something coming:** Chancellor Rachel Reeves has a chance to seize the moment when she gives the Mais Lecture on Tuesday. She'll announce a development corporation for the Ox-Cam corridor, more AI initiatives and closer EU alignment, [The Times](https://www.thetimes.com/article/084c0e27-2fc7-4490-99d1-0e0df220068b?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) reports. --- ## Live and unplugged Reform's head of policy Zia Yusuf will tell today's techUK conference that "we are entering the most pivotal technological moment in human history" and the country needs leadership to "act decisively to ensure Britain competes and wins". He'll argue that, despite its strengths, the UK is falling behind because of "political choices" (largely energy policy). **Border tech:** Yusuf is also the party's home affairs spokesperson and he will say a Reform government would "deploy advanced systems... to secure our borders". That includes increased surveillance of British waters to ensure the state "once again has full control over who enters our country". **Master or mercy?** Yusuf's remarks, shared with The Morning Intelligence, are also strong on "sovereignty". "The question is whether Britain will be master of its own destiny, or at the mercy of others," he will say. **On the agenda:** The political appearances at today's event are framed as "in conversation with..." meaning there shouldn't be big announcements, but we'll listen out for any gems. **Kate Forbes** is repping the SNP, **Ben Spencer** the Conservatives and **Victoria Collins** the Lib Dems, while **Liz Kendall** will close the event. --- ## Monday Movers 👩‍💻 *Get in touch to share your career updates and job vacancies.* **Hiring spree:** Britain has seen hiring for AI-related jobs grow at 37 percent year-on-year, faster than its European counterparts, but it is struggling to train and attract the workers needed to sustain that growth, according to LinkedIn data. The US attracts AI engineers at nearly twice the UK’s rate. **Spotted on LinkedIn:** Google DeepMind is [after a writer](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4372900586?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), Ofcom needs a [tech policy manager](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4384151670/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), AISI is looking for a [research engineer](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4382702464/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and [ElevenLabs wants](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4368374472/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) an AI safety policy person. --- That's your lot, back tomorrow. Tom ### Nothing in, nothing out URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-copyright-update/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T07:27:29.000Z Happy Friday, but not in my household where we're without a shower. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Planning day:** [UK Tech Week](https://uktechweek.org/events/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) starts Mondaywith around 40 events across the country. Things kick off in Manchester, while on Wednesday in Westminster the focus is on founders meeting MPs. There is also an [all-star panel](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/leah-friedlander%5Fuk-tech-week-will-be-a-massive-week-for-our-ugcPost-7437187030318546945-kHfg/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) at the end of the day. **Cancel all leave:** Monday is [techUK's policy conference](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/tech-policy-conference-2026.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and [Nvidia GTC](https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) starts. On Wednesday it's the government's AI-copyright update (more below) and on Thursday at 10am The Morning Intelligence is hosting a webinar to chat through the update and look at next steps. [**Register here**](https://luma.com/srgpofdy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)**.** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Ex-Amazon boss rules himself out:** The competition watchdog's boss has recused himself from its pivotal decision on cloud this month. **Doug Gurr**, who chairs the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and is a former Amazon executive, [said he won't take part](https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/52101/documents/289227/default/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) in the decision on whether to investigate Amazon Web Services for cloud dominance out of an "abundance of caution". **All change:** Google staff will start moving into the company's massive new London office - Platform 37 - this summer. The name, [announced yesterday](https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/around-the-globe/google-europe/united-kingdom/platform-37-the-ai-exchange/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), is a nod to its location next to King's Cross Station and a reference to "move 37", a chess play made by DeepMind’s AlphaGo. It will house a public space called the "AI Exchange". Meanwhile, Google's former European boss **Matt Brittin** is closing in on the role of the BBC Director General, [the Guardian reports](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/12/matt-brittin-google-former-europe-boss-close-to-becoming-head-of-bbc-sources-say?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#:~:text=Google's%20former%20Europe%20boss%20is,advanced%20in%20the%20appointment%20process.). **Keep the kids away:** AI-powered toys that “talk” with young children should be more tightly regulated and carry new safety kitemarks, Cambridge University researchers recommend in a [report out today](https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/0a0e7b3d-9a28-43ab-9388-0f3f21716172?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Flying blind:** MPs have accused the government of "flying blind" on how innovation policy is impacting regional growth. [The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8729/innovation-growth-and-the-regions/news/212660/government-flying-blind-on-regional-growth-without-proper-data-mps-warn/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) there were “major shortfalls” in data. --- ## Nothing in, nothing out Ministers will rule nothing in and nothing out when they update next week on their work to find a way through the AI-Copyright debate. [Despite reports](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/ai-copyright-software-development-exception-f9pgdghkt?gaa%5Fat=eafs&gaa%5Fn=AWEtsqdCHqPtdZAfE2HgtxlMHsoqD3ldvY8TihijRef8jihBROPKGVCAhZO4Zz1w4gs%3D&gaa%5Fts=69b0219d&gaa%5Fsig=uW0z6dKv4O-yp4y9eHf9AtZaR0vt3pRwOcvd5j21nWkyOYcBufAK7d%5FBKsW7wgUKrZxrtuVneSSXiwik%5FtJFkA%3D%3D&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), there will be no changes to expand text and data mining (TDM) exceptions beyond non-commercial research, according to three people familiar with government thinking. But ministers are not going to rule out TDM exceptions completely either. **Stuck:** DSIT and DCMS will publish an update and economic impact assessment on Wednesday but there will be no new policy [despite a three-month consultation](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/the-uk-ai-copyright-debate-is-stuck/) and several "working groups" meeting from all sides. Instead it is viewing next Wednesday as another moment to "reset" the debate, the people above said. **Strike out:** Expanding TDM exceptions has long been an ask of tech companies and has been looked at by officials, but won’t be included in the update. Creative industries want it ruled out, as the Australian government did last year, arguing it would encourage tech companies to strike licensing deals with publishers. **What to expect:** The lack of a “landing zone”, means next week the two sides will put forward well-rehearsed positions on why the government should/shouldn't change copyright law. ### **💡 Join us for an** [**online panel and Q&A**](https://luma.com/srgpofdy?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **to talk about next steps on AI-Copyright on Thursday March 19 at 10am.** --- ## 'We Brits underestimate ourselves' ***I’m running a Q&A with industry, political and policy leaders every Friday.*** *This week is Alex Stephany, the CEO and founder of Beam, a social enterprise which develops tech solutions for public services. Their AI tool, Magic Notes, is used by hundreds of councils and they've expanded to the US and Australia.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/Gemini_Generated_Image_pkg4ohpkg4ohpkg4-1.png) Alex Stephany, chief executive of Beam, Image: Beam/Gemini ### **As a UK tech company, do you feel you get the same coverage and attention you would if you were a US tech company?** We Brits tend to underestimate ourselves, which can definitely hold us back. Since launching Beam in Europe, Australia, and the US, our rapid growth has honestly taken me by surprise. That’s me being too British. In reality, non-UK governments everywhere have been incredibly receptive to our tools and UK track record. I was always warned that Americans only buy American tech, but I’ve found Brits to be more snobbish about UK tech than anyone else. ### **What are some of the procurement challenges you’ve faced?** There are two sides to this story. On the bright side, councils have embraced innovation, moving quickly on AI and enthusiastically adopting our tech. Over two-thirds of UK councils - from the Isle of Wight to the Orkneys - equip their social care teams with Beam’s technology. Outside social care, we partner with frontline workers in employability, housing, and community health. When the PM saw the impact we were having on councils up and down the country, he invited me along with a social worker, Joanna James from Ealing Council, to Downing Street. Joanna told him that Beam’s tech has enabled her to fall back in love with her job and support double the number of people each week. Central government has been slower, despite the PM and Peter Kyle’s authentic support for homegrown AI companies. Procurement is often broken for UK startups, favouring Big Tech. Indeed, sometimes, UK tech is a civil servant's third choice - after US tech or building in-house. ### **How do you think the UK is doing more widely with its AI strategy?** We need to focus on where we can win and build a dynamic, homegrown AI industry. Rather than competing head-on with frontier labs or NVIDIA, our sweet spot in the UK is vertically specific models and market-leading products at the application layer. Specifically at Beam, we’re focused on frontline services and how we can contribute to rebuilding creaking welfare services for the AI era. Building tech for Government might seem niche. But I’d argue that every responsible citizen should care about their country having a robust GovTech sector. ### **There are plenty of figures showing the UK is not doing particularly well on AI adoption, but Beam’s success would suggest otherwise.** We're a pretty unique company! We've been around for almost a decade, starting out by delivering frontline services to help people experiencing homelessness get into jobs. We were the first to put frontline services onto smartphones before the pandemic because we realised it made them cheaper and more accessible. When the pandemic hit and everything went digital, we were deluged with referrals, and our own teams became overwhelmed. That sparked an exciting idea: what if we harnessed AI to solve their biggest pain point - documentation? We built a tool to record meetings, with consent, and output reports. Suddenly, our caseworkers could stop typing and fully focus on the person in front of them. ### **Give us a piece of advice that you would give to your teenage self.** It’s easy to fret about your choices, but there are so many wonderful ways your life can pan out. The main thing is to make the absolute most of the raw material life hands you. Tomorrow is a new day. --- Wishing you all excellent weekends, back Monday. Tom ### Power up, crack down URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-tech-energy-competition-policies/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:27:47.000Z Good morning and welcome back to your morning hit of AI news. Today's edition smells good ☕. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **You've got mail:** **Ofcom** and the **Information Commissioner's Office** [published a letter to tech companies this morning ](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/keep-underage-children-off-your-platforms-ofcom-tells-tech-firms?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)telling them toenforce minimum age restrictions, tackle grooming and make feeds safer. The timing is interesting — we're in the middle of a [consultation on this](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-consults-on-teen-social-media-restrictions/) — but Ofcom is under pressure from tech secretary Liz Kendall to go faster. They've singled out **Facebook, Instagram, Roblox, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube** to show action by the end of April. **Working on it:** Kendall also announced a [package of reforms](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-breaks-down-barriers-to-help-more-women-and-girls-enter-the-tech-sector?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=fbc6b2ab-9f5e-421d-a305-cdf6f4dc9c81&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) this morning to get more women working in tech. It includes 300 paid tech placements, support for those returning after career breaks and a national schools competition. The Women in Tech Taskforce has also opened a [Call for Evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/building-a-future-tech-sector-that-works-for-everyone?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Ethics minefield:** Business in the Community is launching a [Responsible AI Framework](https://www.bitc.org.uk/responsible-ai/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this afternoon at Verizon's London offices to help organisations navigate the ethical complexities of AI. **In Parliament:** Support for entrepreneurs is among the questions MPs will [ask the business and trade secretary](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal53934?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Nothing to see here:** Takeovers of UK AI firms by foreign companies will no longer be automatically screened for national security concerns in a bid to speed up investment, [the FT reports](https://www.ft.com/content/a5691f00-7202-4749-868d-01021fc422b4?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Getting the money:** The **British Business Bank** has invested [£2m in AI defence startup](https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/news-and-events/news/british-business-bank-invests-ps21m-hadean?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Hadean, **Entrepreneurs First** has [raised $200m](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mattcliffordef%5Fwere-excited-to-announce-that-entrepreneurs-activity-7437437314433347585-X7LP?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo) to back the next generation of founders, Dutch cloud company **Nebius**, which opened its first UK data centre last year, is getting a $2 billion investment from [Nvidia](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-and-nebius-partner-to-scale-full-stack-ai-cloud?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Incoming:** Tech companies would be criminally liable for harm caused by AI chatbots under an [amendment](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938/stages/20491/amendments/10033056?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) laid by **Beeban Kidron** to the Crime and Policing Bill. The move has cross-party support and will be debated by the Lords on March 18\. Kidron has a long history of forcing legislative changes on online safety and is meeting with officials this week about it. [Campaign groups](https://www.onlinesafetyact.net/analysis/the-uk-must-hold-ai-chatbot-companies-to-account-for-the-harm-they-cause/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) said it would "set a new global standard for holding tech companies accountable". --- ## Plug in, crack down The government has [published details](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69b1714358d4ef5adaf0e468/accelerating-electricity-network-connections-for-strategic-demand.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of how it will get its AI Growth Zones and massive new data centres connected to the grid faster, while a competition decision is also looming on whether to take action against some US hyperscalers. Both policies can support UK tech firms. **Consulting now:** The [grid proposals](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-tackle-speculative-demand-grid-connection-requests?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=878a417e-f690-4654-b17b-ed139fbe5ed9&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) will cut the wait for connections by ditching data centres which aren't viable, reserving capacity for projects the government believes are the most strategic and aligning data centre connections to regional infrastructure. The consultation closes on April 15. **Time wasters:** The reforms aim to tackle speculative data centre applications clogging up the queue. The energy systems operator, NESO, reckons there are around 140 data centres waiting for a connection, representing around 50GW of capacity — that's more than the country's peak energy use. **See you in 2041:** The government was already [reforming the grid connection process](https://www.neso.energy/industry-information/connections-reform?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), but that had little impact on demand for connections, which grew by 460% in the first six months of last year, or on connection waits which are 15 years. **Serious players only:** Ben Richardson, VP of Strategy at CoreWeave, said the reforms were a "really important step". Gary Wojtaszek, executive chairman of data centre developer Pure DC, said: "This is exactly what we’ve been requesting. This is great news for all serious DC developers." ### A different growth lever Hyperscalers like Microsoft, Amazon and Google are investing billions in UK data centres — but they're also at the centre of a competition battle [MPs debated yesterday](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-11/debates/56544F9B-9DA0-4D2A-AC45-DF874A1CC243/UK-BasedTechCompanies?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). MPs accused the CMA of being too slow to use its new digital markets powers, especially against Google and Apple's mobile dominance, while a decision on its long-delayed cloud investigation into Microsoft and Amazon is now expected at the end of this month. **A trip down Memory Lane:** I covered these new powers, given to the Competition Markets Authority (CMA), as they went through Parliament in 2023\. They were almost killed off several times through fierce lobbying by Big Tech companies, but when they survived there was great hope they'd lead to swift action. An under-pressure CMA, however, hasn't been able to deliver at the speed hoped for. **We've got the law:** Opening a debate in Westminster Hall, Conservative MP **Peter Fortune** said: "We have already legislated for stronger digital competition, but slow implementation and weak early enforcement risk squandering a rare pro-growth and pro-SME opportunity." **Growth = ?** The CMA has been given a mandate by the government to create "economic growth", but shadow tech secretary **Julia Lopez** said:"If growth is defined as just bringing in big tech, it is predictable how the regulator will act." **Responding for the government:** AI minister Kanishka Narayan said: "We are taking a whole-of-government approach to ensure that the right conditions are in place for businesses to reach their full potential." --- ## Spotted Elsewhere 👀 *A weekly round-up of interesting stuff I've read.* **Who are you?** It's been a [big week for Nscale](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-sovereignty-push/) and the [NYT has a profile](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/business/nscale-ai-data-center-boom.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) of the former coal miner behind the company which a large chunk of Britain's AI ambitions now rest on. **Life after Davos:** The Startup Coalition's [Martha Dacombe has a great framing](https://dacombe.substack.com/p/after-the-davos-economy) for the post-Davos order and what that means for domestic politics and the economy. **Sticking with Substack:** Max Bray has [a lot of thoughts](https://brayearth.substack.com/p/building-a-nation-of-builders?utm%5Fsource=substack&publication%5Fid=3115460&post%5Fid=190499224&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=share&utm%5Fcampaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=e6fxx&triedRedirect=true) about how to build a "nation of entrepreneurs" and why that's so vital. --- That's your lot, back tomorrow. Tom ### Lessons from Down Under URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-copyright-debate-march-update/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T07:27:10.000Z Happy Wednesday, I'm typing away to the sweet sound of my bathroom being ripped out. Wishing you all quieter days. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **What we've learned:** The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee holds a [mammoth evidence session](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26768?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 9:30am on social media and chatbot age restrictions, including evidence from Australia's eSafety commissioner. **More below.** **In Parliament:** MPs will debate [government support for British tech companies](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54851?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 2:30pm (I'll report back tomorrow if it's interesting). Expect to hear more about that next week when chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers her "[Mais Lecture](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/spring-forecast-2026-speech?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)". The Lords will discuss [more co-operation with the EU](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54637?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on digital rule-making this afternoon. **Union reps:** The TUC hosts a forum on [collective bargaining around AI](https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/collective-bargaining-ai-forum?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) as part of its strategy to shift power on AI in the workplace. **One to watch:** The government will start releasing WhatsApp messages and emails from Peter Mandelson today, [The Times reports](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/peter-mandelson-files-released-when-0sp5dclpt?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Yum:** Think of AI as a "five-layer cake", Nvidia boss Jensen Huang wrote in [his blog](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-5-layer-cake/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), arguing it would create tonnes of well-paid jobs. **Getting the old gang back:** London VC firm Hiro Capital co-led a $1 billion investment in ex-Meta man Yann LeCun's new venture. Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) plans to develop world models rather than LLMs. Nick Clegg, now a general partner at Hiro Capital, said: "I have known, and admired, Yann for many years and look forward to supporting him and his outstanding team at AMI as they start their important work in earnest." **AI at war:** Meta must do more to combat AI-generated fakes on its platform, especially during conflicts, its [Oversight Board said](https://www.oversightboard.com/news/board-calls-for-new-rules-on-deceptive-ai-during-conflicts/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). --- ## Lessons from Australia Australia's eSafety commissioner believes that the world's first social media ban is not a "complete solution", but it is designed to "allow children to be children, just a little longer". **It's early but:** In her first published statement since the country enforced curbs in December, Julie Inman Grant, wrote to the [Science Innovation and Technology Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/163490/default/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk): "The impact of social media minimum age will be measured over years, not weeks or months, and its effect will likely be generational." > "Delaying access to social media accounts for under 16s is not a complete solution to all online safety concerns. Through regulation, education, collaboration and innovation, Australia can help shape a digital future that is safer, smarter and more accountable — and allow children to be children, just a little longer." **Let kids be kids:** Inman Grant will be giving evidence to the committee at 10:50am today along with Amy Orben, a Cambridge academic who wrote a report for the UK government last year which argued more evidence was needed to show harmful impacts of social media on healthy children. **The early signs:** The UK government is setting up a panel to look at evidence from Australia. The early signs are that around 4.7 million accounts held by under-16s have been closed and public support remains high, but there is a legal challenge against it and scepticism that it can actually work. **Before that:** MPs will also[ hear from](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26768?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Health Professionals for Online Safety and Parentkind, who are both in favour of a social media ban. That will be followed by evidence from those more sceptical of any ban, including Beeban Kidron, the chair of the 5Rights Foundation. --- ## Sovereignty, defined “Is it any wonder that people are feeling insecure?” asked Newcastle MP **Chi Onwurah** as she opened the debate on [technology sovereignty in Westminster Hall yesterday](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-10/debates/A91DF2A1-6231-4A38-AF17-56B742D06E95/TechnologySovereignty?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The debate was not meant to find a definition of tech sovereignty, but plenty of MPs offered their thoughts. For Labour MP **Samantha Niblett** it was “the ability to make deliberate choices in our own interests, according to our shared values”. **Inspired by another small island:** Shadow tech secretary **Julia Lopez** said sovereignty was about "resilience and influence”. “How do we make ourselves an indispensable part of any critical supply chain in the way Taiwan and the Netherlands have done in relation to chips?” **Boo to US:** Lopez, Niblett and many others raised their concerns about public sector contracts to US tech giants. Milton Keynes MP **Emily Darlington** argued those government contracts were not helping economic growth, while fellow Labour MPs **Gordon McKee** and **Anneliese Dodds** called for closer collaboration with Europe. The Lib Dems' tech spokesperson **Victoria Collins** wanted a “bold strategy” on tech sovereignty. **More measured:** Responding for the government, AI minister **Kanishka Narayan** described sovereignty as a “state’s ability to have strategic leverage”. “It is to take the best tools the world has to offer today, but also to shape the rest, and ultimately to make that which is critical here in Britain,” he said. Narayan said the [soon-to-be-launched Sovereign AI Unit](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-sovereignty-push/) would focus on investments in embodied AI, novel compute, AI for science and novel model architecture. --- That's all for now, thanks for reading and back tomorrow, Tom ### Move fast, build sovereign URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-ai-sovereignty-push/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T07:27:57.000Z Good morning. It's Tuesday, it's Tom and there is loads to get through. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **This isn't it:** MPs debate [**tech sovereignty at 4:30 pm**](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54854?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) led by Labour's **Chi Onwurah**. Expect plenty of chat about how government contracts to foreign tech firms are the antithesis to 'sovereignty'. **More below**. **MedAIcate me:** The Lords' Science Committee [opens an inquiry](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9659/innovation-in-the-nhs-personalised-medicine-and-ai?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) into AI-personalised medicines. **Lots of forums:** The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum hosts a "[Responsible AI Forum](https://web.cvent.com/event/4d5b9241-e771-465e-905c-7979c8edc096/websitePage:17353150-f106-4ce8-929a-19419eb87435?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" today with speakers from Ofcom, the ICO, Anthropic and Cabinet Office. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **No ban yet:** MPs last night voted down a Conservative Party move to [ban under-16s](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-09/debates/655E6B7C-4642-44D5-ABFE-236ADC69819A/Children%E2%80%99SWellbeingAndSchoolsBill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from social media, but backed Labour amendments to give sweeping new powers to ministers to enforce the outcome of the government's social media and AI chatbot consultation. **You've been warned:** Tech secretary **Liz Kendall** told platforms to use "every tool at their disposal" to protect women and girls from online abuse and misogyny after a meeting with **Snapchat, Meta, YouTube and TikTok** yesterday. Kendall said platforms would face "further action" and has asked Ofcom to "swiftly" report on which platforms are failing to meet existing measures. **Hit back:** Claims that weakening UK copyright law would boost AI growth are not supported by tech companies' own evidence, research commissioned by the **News Media Association** argues. The analysis looks at three economic modelling reports, which sided with tech companies' arguments. **Agents of change:** AI agents will change how we shop but consumer protections have to remain robust, the Competition and Markets Authority sets out in an [in-depth research paper](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agentic-ai-and-consumers/agentic-ai-and-consumers?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#executive-summary). --- ## Move fast, build sovereign The government wants to move fast to build AI capacity: the Sovereign AI Unit launches in five weeks, British tech companies are raising billions and its top scientific adviser is pushing on photonics. But MPs will flag today that it is yet to define what sovereignty is — or reflect it in policy, procurement and regulation. **Launch date:** The Sovereign AI Unit, which has £500m to invest in strategic AI startups, will launch on April 16 and is lining up its first investments for that date too. Its website went [live yesterday](https://sovereignai.gov.uk/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and looks lovely, but has little detail. However there is plenty we know already. It will invest between £1m and around £20m in companies which it believes can build a British advantage in the AI stack. Those firms will also get access to compute, datasets and advance market commitments (procurement guarantees). **Busy raising:** While SovAI looks for companies to invest in, two British AI firms, Nscale and Isembard, announced big rounds yesterday. Nscale said it had [raised $2 billion](https://www.nscale.com/press-releases/nscale-series-c?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to build data centres globally. It has one in Slough and another planned in Loughton, Essex, which is meant to open this year but the company gave no update on that when I asked. A [Guardian investigation](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/09/revealed-uks-multibillion-ai-drive-is-built-on-phantom-investments?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) yesterday found it is still a scaffolding yard. Meanwhile, AI manufacturing startup [Isembard](https://www.isembard.com/blogs-and-articles/isembard-raises-50m-series-a-to-open-25-ai-powered-factories-serving-aerospace-and-defence?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) raised $50m to open 25 new factories across Europe. The London-based firm frames itself as a sovereign play to rebuild domestic manufacturing in aerospace, robotics and defence. **Can we debate it first?** Nscale and Isembard are exactly the kind of companies the government's sovereignty narrative is built around, but MPs will ask this afternoon whether the government knows what it's trying to achieve. Chi Onwurah, the chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, has a debate in Parliament to look at the government's approach to tech sovereignty. "I want reassurance that there is a well-thought out and cross-governmental approach... and we are not simply sleepwalking into techno-serfdom," Onwurah said. Note: DSIT has been working on a legal definition of sovereignty since last year. AI minister Kanishka Narayan will respond at the end of the debate. **This might help:** One possible answer to Britain's approach to sovereignty arrived yesterday [in the form of a letter from](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/photonics-capturing-the-opportunities-for-growth-and-global-leadership/cst-advice-on-growth-and-global-leadership-in-photonics?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) the government's chief scientific adviser. Dame Angela McLean said the government should build domestic capability in photonics. The Council for Science and Technology, which she co-chairs, called for a "roadmap" by April and a team to look at how to pull together photonics clusters in places like Southampton, Sheffield, Glasgow and Belfast. Photonics - the technology of generating, controlling and detecting light - is crucial for everything from fibre optic cables to AI hardware and by 2035, the Council reckons more than 60% of the UK economy will directly depend on it. --- ## Your boss is wrong about AI Multiverse shared some research with us this morning revealing that many tech execs are overestimating how their staff use AI. The upskilling platform surveyed 800 execs and 2,000 staff in the UK and US, showing a gap between bosses' perception of how staff are using AI tools and the reality. The research also shows that while half of mid-level workers use AI tools daily, only a fifth of junior employees do. More than half of staff, meanwhile, received less than five hours of formal AI training, with most relying on working it out themselves. Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse, said: “AI is not a monolithic tool, and its application varies wildly between a junior developer, a middle manager, and a CEO. The 30 percent gap in adoption we see between seniority levels is a clear signal that the one-size-fits-all approach to AI is failing." --- Thanks for reading, sharing, messaging. Back tomorrow. Tom ### Anthropic and the UK — a perfect fit? URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-courts-anthropic-trump-blacklisting/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T07:26:32.000Z Happy Monday and welcome back. I'm in all sorts of pain after running 12 miles yesterday (my own fault, I know). I hope your weekends were less sore. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Hello Fraud Strategy:** The government's Fraud Strategy is due to drop this morning. The focus is on combating online fraud, with the launch of an "Online Crime Centre" for banks, tech companies, telecoms firms, the police and government to work together on. **In Parliament:** A busy one. The [**Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill**](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0383/amend/children%5Fday%5Fccla%5F0309.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is back in the Commons this afternoon and, [as reported last week](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-labour-party-ai-messaging/), ministers are seeking broad new powers to enforce the outcome of the social media and chatbot consultation, which MPs are likely to pass. **Meta, X and TikTok** are all in front of the **Foreign Affairs Committee at 2pm** to answer questions about how they're both disrupting and platforming [foreign disinformation campaigns](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26748?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Also taking evidence today is the **APPG on Children's Online Safety** which will be hearing about the positive uses of AI for children. **Securing the cloud:** The prime minister will respond to the [Intelligence and Security Committee’s Cloud Technologies Report](https://isc.independent.gov.uk/news/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) today. The report was confidential but the prime minister's response should be published in a written statement to Parliament. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **The CRINKS do AI:** The UK should focus on national security risks posed by hostile countries co-operating on AI, the Alan Turing Institute says in a report out this morning. The research, from the Turing's Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS), finds evidence of collaboration between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea (aka the CRINKS) on AI. **Hold up:** The UK's flagship "[Invest in Women Taskforce](https://www.investinwomentaskforce.org/about-us/about-the-taskforce/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" is yet to deploy any capital, two years after launching, [Sifted reports](https://sifted-content-ui-prod-preview.herokuapp.com/articles/draft133382-8?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning. **Paid to forget:** AI startup Locai Labs will use Britain's most powerful supercomputer, Isambard AI, to explore "machine unlearning" — methods of training existing open source AI models to forget things they've learned during training, such as political censorship (hello Chinese open source). **At it again:** A government spokesperson has described the latest use of Grok to generate [abuse as "sickening"](https://news.sky.com/story/grok-posts-about-fatal-football-disasters-sickening-says-government-13516920?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), Sky reports. --- ## The UK woos Anthropic **Welcome mat:** London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pounced on the Trump administration blacklisting of Anthropic to encourage the frontier AI firm to expand in the UK. **More than an outpost:** The city is already Anthropic’s biggest office outside the US and it has deep links in the UK. The company, which is looking to IPO this year, has quadrupled its head count in less than two years to more than 200 staff, including 60 researchers. But Khan spies a further opportunity in the [White House designating Anthropic](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/technology/anthropic-openai-pentagon-dario-amodei-sam-altman.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) as a supply chain risk over its refusal to allow the Pentagon to use its technology for all military uses. **Pen pally:** "Anthropic’s approach to safety and governance reflects the principles we want to see embedded in future AI development," the mayor wrote last week, in a letter quoted by [The Times.](https://www.thetimes.com/article/b88daeda-8895-46e0-aa84-7c2d2ad34cbd?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) "I believe that London can provide the stable, proportionate and pro-innovation environment in which this kind of AI can flourish." He adds it “would be good to discuss how we could support you to expand operations further". **You know it makes sense:** Anthropic's co-founder Jack Clark is British, along with senior staff, and it works closely with the UK government’s AI Security Institute. The company signed an [agreement last year](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-uk-and-anthropic-on-ai-opportunities/memorandum-of-understanding-between-uk-and-anthropic-on-ai-opportunities?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to deepen its work with the British state. It counts Rishi Sunak as an adviser and Sunak's former chief of staff, Liam Booth-Smith, is its policy chief in EMEA. Its chatbot Claude is being used to create a chatbot for the public to interact with government services on GOV.UK. **Already on it:** David Lawrence, co-founder of the Centre for British Progress, was [calling a UK move for Anthropic](https://x.com/dc%5Flawrence/status/2023743711184580923?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) before the fallout with Trump. “The UK government should do everything it can to get Anthropic to move,” he wrote in February. “The British state could be an early shareholder in a newly-London listed Anthropic.” --- ## Monday Movers 👩‍💻 *Get in touch to share your career updates.* **That was quick:** Global Counsel's tech team have wasted no time in finding new jobs since the firm's collapse into administration. Tom Doherty [has joined FGS Global's tech team](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tom-doherty-5153b128%5Fa-new-chapter-begins-im-delighted-share-7434617191498584064-26Gu?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo), which is led by Global Counsel alumni Conan D'Arcy, while David Swanson is off to [Hanbury as an assistant director](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7434515624791314432/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Congrats all:** Lulu Freemont has [left Milltown](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lulu-freemont-b087a8a2%5Fexcited-to-share-ive-started-a-new-role-ugcPost-7434179513732837378-342H?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo ) to serve as SpAd to the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones. BCS, The Chartered Institute of IT, has appointed Harpreet Panesar as Director of Membership and Adam Thompson as Director of Digital. **Spotted on LinkedIn:** OpenAI has a [comms job going](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/metin-parlak-ab038567%5Fwere-hiring-great-opportunity-for-a-share-7434608896197005312-jTEs?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo ) in London and Public First's TMT team is [also recruiting.](https://shgh.teamtailor.com/jobs/7303413-policy-analyst-tech-media-telecoms ?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) --- That's your lot, back tomorrow. Tom ### Two great industries, one endless battle URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/the-uk-ai-copyright-debate-is-stuck/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T13:47:49.000Z Good morning and happy International Women's Day (for Sunday). Wishing you all restful weekends. I'll mainly be putting up a Wendy House. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **In Manchester:** [Connected by Data](https://connectedbydata.org/events/2026-03-06-conference?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) hosts a conference on "power and participation in public tech". **Next week in Parliament:** On Tuesday, Labour MP Chi Onwurah leads a Westminster Hall [**debate on UK tech sovereignty**](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54854?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The Lords Science and Technology Committee also takes evidence on[**AI's use in medicine**](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26777?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). On Wednesday, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee [**interviews experts**](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26768?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) **for and against social media and chatbot curbs** on teenagers. ***Full*** [***updated calendar here***](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/)***. Please email me with any events you'd like including.*** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Build it:** The Tony Blair Institute has built on a [call from OpenUK](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-aim-anti-big-tech-lobby/) which we featured in yesterday's newsletter for a [National Open Source AI Lab](https://institute.global/insights/tech-and-digitalisation/the-uk-doesnt-need-its-own-chatgpt-it-needs-a-national-open-source-ai-lab?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The lab should develop open source tools for public services and be built on the government's existing Incubator for AI, it says. **Culture shift:** University College London's commercialisation arm, UCL Business, publishes figures on spinouts today, showing a leap in the number of academics seeking to commercialise their research. --- ## The AI-Copyright debate is stuck In 12 days time the government will publish an update on where it wants to go next in the AI-Copyright debate. Ministers wanted to find a "landing zone" between tech company and creative sector interests, but expectations of progress are low and there is not even agreement in government on a way forward, according to two industry representatives. **Not helping:** The creative industries and tech companies have been fighting a lobbying battle for years around changing, or not, UK copyright law to train AI models. The latest missed opportunity to find a way forward is [a report by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/170/communications-and-digital-committee/publications/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) out this morning which largely takes the creative industries' side. **More delays:** OnMarch 18 there will be a government report and economic assessment which is meant to outline a way forward. But two industry reps played down the chances of a breakthrough. One creative industry rep described a “battle” between the tech department (DSIT) and the culture dept (DCMS) over what to do next. **Crying emoji:** The saddest thing about the AI-Copyright debate is that it pits two of Britain's great strengths - the creative and tech industries against one another. The Lords' report today falls exactly into this trap, comparing the AI industry unfavourably to the creative one. **AI? No biggie:** It warns that ministers would "sacrifice" the creative industries by accepting tech company demands for copyright reform. It dismisses AI as "jam tomorrow" and "speculative", playing down its contribution to the UK economy at "just" £12bn (and 86,000 jobs). **Narrow group:** [Evidence](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/25465/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to peers on the committee was largely given by the creative sector. The committee said this was due to short timescales, but the recommendations reinforce existing positions of the creative sector rather than helping the stalemate. They include ruling out a text and data mining exception for commercial research, something the government is looking at according to three industry reps, but which the creative sector is firmly against. **Ring the alarm:** Committee Chair Baroness Keeley said: “Watering down the protections in our existing copyright regime to lure the biggest US tech companies is a race to the bottom that does not serve UK interests." **I'm sorry but:** It is also not in the UK interest for the two sides to continue taking chunks out of each other. If the Lords want to play a role, they should help by suggesting potential landing zones, rather than repeating lines from one side of the debate. --- ## ‘AI policy should focus on economic resilience’ ***I’m running a Q&A with industry, political and policy leaders on AI every Friday.*** First up is Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade who has a front row seat on AI's impact on work. He is also a non-executive director at Monzo and Just Eat. He studied Public Policy and Economics at Vanderbilt University. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/Gemini_Generated_Image_s3u179s3u179s3u1-1.png) **Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade. Photo edited with Gemini* **1) Trades should be among the areas least affected by AI. Where are you seeing an impact?** Trades will always be hands-on, but the business of being a trade is being transformed by AI. It helps trades win more work, better communicate with customers, price more accurately and run more efficient businesses. AI reduces friction on both sides of the marketplace. **2) Are you seeing any signs of more white-collar workers switching to a trade?** In a world where we need more housing and the mass decarbonisation of homes, there is huge unmet demand for more trades. The combination of that context and AI-driven disruption of ‘white-collar’ work means we are seeing growing interest in trades as a stable, resilient career path. AI is likely to automate or reshape many desk roles before any potential impact on physical, skilled labour in the years ahead. That dynamic is changing perceptions. **3) Which policies do you think the government should adopt most urgently to prepare the country for AI-led disruption?** First, investment in digital skills, not just coding, but AI literacy across all sectors, including SMEs and sole traders. Second, a serious push on vocational training and apprenticeships. If AI accelerates disruption in office-based roles, we must expand pathways into skilled trades and technical professions. AI policy shouldn’t just focus on frontier models. It should focus on economic resilience. **4) Where do you think the UK is most prepared to deal with AI disruption?** The UK has three advantages that must be protected and catalysed: a strong AI research ecosystem, a vibrant start-up culture and a flexible labour market. Yet an unheralded strength is our small business economy. If we equip SMEs and trades with the right tools, they can adapt quickly. **5) Give us a piece of advice you would tell your teenage self** Learn how to learn. The tools will change faster than ever, but curiosity, adaptability and resilience compound over time. I may lead a British tech success story but at heart I remain a son of Silicon Valley - and something I believe the UK should adopt from that culture is that the future will reward people who embrace change rather than fear it. --- Thanks for supporting this newsletter in its first week. I'm very open to ideas and suggestions so do email me (just not over the weekend). Back Monday. Tom ### An anti-Big Tech lobby starts up URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-aim-anti-big-tech-lobby/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T09:41:57.000Z Good morning and Happy World Book Day. Pro parent tip, a tiger onesie works for any occasion 🐯. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **In Parliament:** It's [Cabinet Office questions](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal53929?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this morning with MPs asking about cybersecurity and digital IDs, a consultation on which is expected next week. **Get booking:** TechUK is finalising the lineup for its [policy conference on March 16](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/tech-policy-conference-2026/agenda.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Senior figures from all major parties are speaking: Liz Kendall (Labour), Zia Yusuf (Reform), Ben Spencer (Conservatives), Victoria Collins (Lib Dems) and Kate Forbes (SNP). --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **So you can just do it:** Google announced a host of [policy changes](https://www.reuters.com/business/fortnite-return-google-play-worldwide-2026-03-04/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to its app store overnight to settle long-running competition concerns. They include slashing developer fees, allowing third-party app stores on Android devices, and enabling developers to use their own billing systems. The changes, long pushed for by companies [like Epic Games](https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/2029250311198523522?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk), will start in the UK in September. They go much further than commitments Google made to the UK [competition watchdog just last month](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-secures-commitments-from-apple-and-google-to-improve-fairness-in-app-store-processes-and-enhance-ios-interoperability?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Build in the open:** The UK should create a “National Foundation” for open source technology, UKRI-funded research out today recommends. Produced by OpenUK, an industry body for open technology, it wants public investment to build open source infrastructure, arguing it is the best option for the UK and other “middle nations” to become less dependent on US tech (more on that theme below). **What you looking at?** Data watchdog the ICO is asking Meta for more info about how it processes data gathered from its smart glasses after Swedish media reported contractors were able to view sensitive content. [The BBC has more](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q33nvj0qpo?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=rss&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **A headline I wasn't expecting:** AI-trained [robot mice](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ai-trained-robotic-mice-to-scurry-in-the-large-hadron-collider?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) inspect the Hadron Collider. --- ## An anti-Big Tech lobby starts up Plenty of people talk about building UK tech “sovereignty” - few start a campaign to do it. But two lawyers have done just that, launching an [AI manifesto for the UK](https://www.aimfortheuk.com/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) this week. **Do we have a choice?** Ben Maling, a patent attorney and partner at EIP, and William Bowes, General Counsel at YouGov, are behind the AI manifesto (called AIM) and want to promote UK tech interests over US Big Tech ones. Until now, those interests have largely aligned - the UK has little option other than to use the US tech stack. **Your time is now:** But Maling argues that long-term, Britain needs to get out of a “follower mindset” and show confidence in its own strengths. The manifesto centres on three pillars - sovereignty, leadership and sustainability. He sees an opening now because he believes UK public interest is no longer best-served by US tech companies. > “For all of the value it provides, the US tech stack has created dependencies across our economy that have left it vulnerable to extraction and coercion from misaligned actors, as we are now seeing with the Trump government. Right now, the priority has to be to avoid deepening and extending those dependencies via AI," Maling said. **To do that:** Maling wants government to support the UK tech sector by buying from British firms, giving them access to datasets and tax incentives. He believes the UK can build a more independent AI stack with international partners and open source will be a "huge component" (see above). But the strategy Maling recommends would be an about-face by government which relies on large tech contracts, overwhelmingly with huge corporations (dive deep on [UK tech procurement figures here](https://www.tussell.com/hubfs/Tussell%20%26%20techUK%20-%20Tech%20Titans%20Report%202025%20-%202025%5F06%5F18.pdf?utm%5Fcampaign=14380599-Tech%20Titans%20-%20FY23%2F24&utm%5Fmedium=email&%5Fhsenc=p2ANqtz--5PAO3SADZnAg%5FPp8Nd3KLTVvNUMORIpnmy1Eicoh307HP%5Fzcn-tzio6XtnHQ3ljb4CLWK4bhyT92YERlAnG-NlPO8QeGt%5FSEpPEUaaYvF14K3SEs&%5Fhsmi=367414081&utm%5Fcontent=367414081&utm%5Fsource=hs%5Fautomation)). **Yeh, we're the little guy:** “We don’t have the resources of Big Tech, but we do have connections, and the advantages of neutrality and being able to credibly say that we have the UK’s best interests at heart," Maling said. **Hardest problems first:** The policy area they’re starting with is AI and copyright. The two lawyers are developing a “landing zone” between tech and creative sector interests, which have been at odds for years. Maling is proposing a narrow extension of the existing research exemption for text and data mining, something the government is also looking at. But any expansion to research exemptions will likely be fiercely opposed by creative industries. “Proposing compromises is uncomfortable for lobbyists in all sectors, but it is something we can do without fear,” he said. **The bigger debate:** Beyond tech policy circles, Maling believes AI's impact on culture, democracy, and Britain's place in the world has been ignored. "There is a risk of democratic deficit if decisions continue to be made on the advice of a small group of well-connected industry benefactors," he said. --- ### Spotted Elsewhere 👀 *A weekly round up of interesting stuff I've read.* **Best of times:**[ The Economist](https://www.economist.com/business/2026/03/01/at-last-reasons-to-be-cheerful-about-european-tech%C2%A0?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) cheers the European tech scene, helped, it says, by Donald Trump's policies. **Worst of times:** The Middle East strikes have shattered illusions of the Gulf as a safe haven for the AI industry, the [Rest of the World argues](https://restofworld.org/2026/amazon-uae-data-center-fire-iran-strike/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Up in Ayr:** Can a huge data centre revitalise a left-behind part of Scotland? This[ BBC article](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2d1ny161yyo?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=rss&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is close to my heart as my wife's family live in the area, but it sums up community concerns playing out across the country. **Over on Substack:** Two of my favourite Substacks are [Alys Key's UK 2.0](https://uk20.substack.com/p/nurturing-the-spin-out-spark) and [State of the Future](https://stateofthefuture.substack.com/) by Lawrence Lundy-Bryan. Alys dives into university spinouts in [her latest piece](https://uk20.substack.com/p/nurturing-the-spin-out-spark), while VC Lundy-Bryan makes sense of the headlines around [AI's impact on](https://stateofthefuture.substack.com/p/four-things-what-do-these-people) work. --- Thanks for reading, back tomorrow. Tom ### How Labour should talk about AI URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-labour-party-ai-messaging/ Last updated: 2026-03-04T07:28:33.000Z Happy Wednesday and an especially warm welcome to all the competition lawyers who signed up [after yesterday's story](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-cloud-inquiry-chair-kip-meek-quits/). --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **How to talk to voters:** Campaign group Labour Digital is presenting mammoth polling on what Britain thinks about tech at an [event in Parliament this evening](https://luma.com/5sgt9ny0?tk=rkKV9B&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). More below. **At the Excel:** Tech Show London begins today. Hannah Fry and Louis Theroux [open the two-day event](https://www.techshowlondon.co.uk/conference/programme?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **In Parliament:** It is the first PMQs at midday since the U.S. strikes on Iran and Labour’s massive by-election loss in Gorton and Denton, so plenty to talk about. --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Pedal to the metal:** British autonomous vehicle champion Oxa has raised $103m to develop its physical AI and robotics technology. Almost half of the Oxford company's Series D round ($50m) came from the publicly funded National Wealth Fund. **Breakthroughs wanted:** UKRI is putting up [£40m](https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/fundamental-ai-research-lab/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) for researchers to work on AI breakthroughs in science, transport and healthcare. The "fundamental AI research lab" is modelled on Aria and AI minister Kanishka Narayan [told the FT](https://www.ft.com/content/41f522fc-10f5-4e5e-b64a-eb515799c265?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) it was a "long-term investment in the brilliant minds who will keep the UK in the AI fast lane". Deadline [to apply](https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/fundamental-ai-research-lab/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is March 31. **Dial it down:** A trial by National Grid and Nvidia shows data centres can quickly adjust power consumption during peak periods, easing demand on the grid, [Bloomberg reports](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/ai-data-centers-may-not-need-constant-peak-power-study-finds?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **This is how we'll do it:** When [the consultation](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-consults-on-teen-social-media-restrictions/) into teenagers' social media and AI chatbot use ends this summer, ministers want to make changes quickly. To do that they're proposing broad powers, according to [government amendments](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3909/stages/20498/motionsandamendments/733?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) laid yesterday to the Children's Wellbeing Bill. They give the Secretary of State power to force internet service providers (not platforms) to restrict access to the internet by age, time of day and the amount of time each day. --- ## Where Labour should go next on tech Tech secretary Liz Kendall spent 90 minutes explaining DSIT's policies [to the Lords yesterday](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26686?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), but she only talked about the practical, public benefits of AI in the last few minutes. Polling out today shows she should have got there much sooner. **This might help:** [Labour Digital](https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/blog/britons-attitudes-towards-technology/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is presenting research from polling last year with More In Common and the New Britain Project in Parliament tonight. It breaks down attitudes to tech by constituency. It shows Labour needs to centre its AI messaging around people’s everyday lives, Neil Ross, industry chair of Labour Digital said. **A tale of two countries:** Optimism about technology’s impact is sharply split between urban and rural. The most tech-optimist constituencies are in London and university cities. Post-industrial and rural parts of Britain, including most of Wales and Scotland (outside the central belt) are far more sceptical. The map is stark: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-03-at-11.19.40.png) **What it means:** That divide has "real political implications," explained Anna McShane, Director of the New Britain Project. "It means a single national message on technology simply won’t land the same way everywhere, in some places you lead with ambition, in others you lead with reassurance.” **Lessons learnt:** When it came to power in 2024, Labour didn't do this. It saw tech as an economic growth story, with the bullish tech secretary Peter Kyle trumpeting massive foreign investment figures around AI infrastructure. This, [as I wrote in May last year](https://www.politico.eu/article/labour-uk-starmer-ai-policy-growth-reform-election-trust-development-open-source-tech-welfare-populist/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), didn't land. **Different messengers:** The reshuffle at DSIT in September, with Liz Kendall and Kanishka Narayan coming in, saw a change in messaging. Labour's tech story is now about spreading economic benefits across the country. There has been a focus on announcing AI Growth Zones in the party's post-industrial heartlands and boasts about them creating 15,000 jobs (maybe eventually), but Labour doesn't have the luxury of time to see infrastructure benefits filter down. **Show don't tell:** Politically, it needs to point to the immediate everyday: hospitals where cancer-death rates are falling because of AI-detection methods, councils whose planning approvals are faster thanks to a government in-house tool, time saved by thousands of police officers and social workers thanks to using basic apps. > “The main takeaway from this polling is that technology in and of itself won’t win votes, it’s what it does that matters," McShane said. "If you can show how it makes people’s lives easier, services more reliable, or the economy fairer, voters are open. If you just sell the innovation for its own sake, they’ll switch off." **On it:** Kendall was at her best in front of the Lords on Tuesday afternoon when giving these examples: a school in her constituency using AI tutors to help disadvantaged kids catch up, a job centre in Wales cutting queues by letting AI write CVs. **In startup mode:** Kendall also told peers they had named Barnsley a "[tech town](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/barnsley-becomes-uks-first-government-backed-tech-town?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)" to show how AI and technology can improve an area, but like the examples above, these are pilots. Labour needs to scale much faster. --- Thanks for reading, back tomorrow. Tom ### Cloud over competition URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/cma-cloud-inquiry-chair-kip-meek-quits/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T07:27:05.000Z Happy Tuesday and welcome back. Thanks for being an "early adopter". I have an early competition scoop to show my appreciation. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ **Quizzed:** Tech secretary **Liz Kendall,** her department's top civil servant **Emran Mian** and science minister **Patrick Vallance** [face questions from the Lords’ Science and Technology Committee](https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26686?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) at 2pm. The peers are going to ask about AI obvs, but specifically: the future of work, regulation and governance, its use in government and the challenges of [scaling British tech companies](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ldselect/ldsctech/192/192.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Yes, it is spring:** Chancellor **Rachel Reeves** gives an update on the nation's finances at midday with her [Spring Forecast](https://whatson.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-03/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), which the government has put a massive damper on. But the ever-cheery trade minister **Chris Bryant** is the main speaker at [techUK’s trade conference](https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/flagship-and-sponsored-events/international-trade-conference-2026.html?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on helping SMEs get into new markets. **Rebuilding the State:** The making-tech-policy-cool gang at TxP[ host a talk on Statecraft and State Capacity ](https://luma.com/hesnimql?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)at 6pm. More [upcoming events here](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/ai-events-uk-calendar/). --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **One to watch:** A British AI lab founded by Cambridge academics came out of "stealth mode" this morning. [Zettafleet](https://www.linkedin.com/company/zettafleet/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) is working on novel ways to train AI models. [Sifted](https://sifted.eu/articles/zettafleet-ai-llm-training?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) reports that its techniques could eventually challenge Nvidia's dominance. **Meta attack:** MPs from all sides criticised [Meta in the Commons](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-02/debates/702183A9-7B57-487C-9634-BF459DB65DB2/RepresentationOfThePeopleBill?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) last night for failing to take down a deepfake video of Conservative MP George Freeman ["defecting" to Reform](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx24w7l8ljgo?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Grown-up conversation:** The government's Responsible AI Advisory Panel [met for the first time](https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/gds-responsible-ai-advisory-panel?ref=themorningintelligence.uk#contact-details) yesterday and appointed Jeni Tennison as chair. Members include the TBI's Laura Gilbert, Ashleigh Ainsley from Colorintech, Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts and the TUC's Adam Cantwell-Corn. **Power up:** If you’re working on AI and energy, [the government wants to hear from you](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/energy-datasets-for-artificial-intelligence-applications?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=9d47331c-138e-4481-9747-a90d6a214c63&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) for its AI strategy on the energy system. **Pencil it in:** Set aside some time if you want to do the [chatbot and social media consultation](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=645f0075-59ac-4a4b-93e4-112ee7917ca3&utm%5Fcontent=immediately). There are three versions to choose from (adults, parents and carers, and 10 to 21 year olds). The full adult version has 55 questions but you can helpfully skip some sections. --- ## Cloud over the CMA The chair of the competition watchdog’s cloud inquiry has quit, saying he is frustrated at the slow pace of action against **Microsoft and Amazon**, while also citing concerns about its wider independence. **What I did last summer:** Kip Meek chaired the independent cloud inquiry for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which [recommended last summer](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688b20e6ff8c05468cb7b120/summary%5Fof%5Ffinal%5Fdecision.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) that Microsoft and Amazon should face action to stem their dominance of the cloud market. The inquiry wanted the CMA to use its new digital markets powers to look at placing rules on the tech behemoths in areas like interoperability and, in Microsoft's case, software licensing. Both companies contested the findings. **How long have you got?** But seven months later, the CMA is yet to take action. Its board will decide at the end of this month whether to follow the inquiry’s recommendation. That decision will come two-and-a-half years after the CMA first started looking at competition concerns in the cloud market. **Right, I'm off:** Meek said that glacial progress combined with worries about the CMA’s independence led to his decision to quit almost a year before his term ends. He left in late January, but his departure has not been reported and this is the first time he has spoken about it. > **"I shared concerns at the time that the CMA was taking a long time to pick up the recommendations of our report. I'm still concerned that the pace is going slowly."** **Independence curbed:** He also fears reforms to how the CMA makes merger decisions would give too much control to the regulator's leadership. The CMA wants to move from a panel of independent members deciding merger investigations to a committee which includes CMA execs. **January hangover:** Meek said that he had been worried about the watchdog's wider independence from government ever since its chair Marcus Bokkerink was [removed by ministers last January](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2d3e6zklxgo?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). The government has appointed former [Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr in his place](https://www.thetimes.com/business/economics/article/mps-approve-doug-gurr-as-chairman-of-the-competition-regulator-l832mk22m?gaa%5Fat=eafs&gaa%5Fn=AWEtsqecGEhRzXdHkEgDMgt85NtevhP9WKoS8SGOctdIj2WN6gOytUN7h9ceckRFj7I%3D&gaa%5Fts=69a57d00&gaa%5Fsig=oyz0y3n6BwDGfyU7SUIsQk%5F3G1QEybTDqG53RECZruKn4uGTJhdD1qz7dthyJC8u4pUqzcT705a0Zx5jcjv8pA%3D%3D&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). **Just updating:** In response, a CMA spokesperson flagged a [speech by its chief executive](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-role-of-modern-competition-policy-in-an-uncertain-world?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Sarah Cardell last week where she said: "Working in a policy-informed way should not be confused with improper political influence." They said reforming merger panels was about updating the way they work, while, on cloud, a decision would be made by its board by the end of March. --- Thanks for reading, that's all for now, back tomorrow. Tom ### Beyond a ban URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/uk-government-consults-on-teen-social-media-restrictions/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T11:54:46.000Z Happy Monday and welcome to launch day 😄. Thanks so much for all your support so far. The response has been way beyond my expectations with **900 subscribers** getting this first briefing. --- ## Happening Today 🗓️ A government consultation on limiting teenagers' social media and AI chatbot use drops at 10:30am and [should appear here](https://www.gov.uk/search/all?organisations[]=department-for-science-innovation-and-technology&order=updated-newest&parent=department-for-science-innovation-and-technology&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). Tech secretary Liz Kendall, who is fronting today's announcement, will give a written statement to Parliament. Kendall was also meant to host a roundtable with industry today, but I'm told that has been cancelled because of the strikes in the Gulf. **More below.** --- ## News In Brief 🩳 **Good to know:** The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will publish a plan and spending targets "shortly" on how much tech it buys from SMEs, [the department said](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-02-10/hl14494?ref=themorningintelligence.uk), in response to a question from Beeban Kidron. **In search of dynamism:** The Tony Blair Institute dropped a report [over the weekend](https://institute.global/insights/economic-prosperity/taking-the-brakes-off-uk-growth-building-a-more-dynamic-economy-for-a-faster?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) on restoring long-lost "dynamism" to the UK economy. It recommends AI-powered job-matching platforms, expanding the Global Talent visa to emerging technologies and a "personal transition fund" to retrain workers. --- ## Beyond a social media ban It's been long-trailed and will be compared to Australia's under-16 social media ban, but the government consultation [launched today](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-consultation-seeks-views-on-major-measures-to-protect-children-on-social-media-gaming-platforms-and-ai-chatbots?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm%5Fsource=e424ca3d-f898-472f-bc63-fccaf6498f5d&utm%5Fcontent=immediately) goes far wider. It is looking at how to restrict children's use of AI chatbots and gaming platforms, alongside social media. Potential steps range from age-verification to less extreme measures like overnight curfews and switching off infinite scrolling and autoplay. There is overwhelming public support for a ban, but dig a little deeper and it is more nuanced with little faith that it would actually work (see [Public First's work on this](https://publicfirsttech.substack.com/p/to-ban-or-not-to-ban)). Top government officials also think privately a ban is poor policy. In lines which belong in a Thick of It script, one "senior government insider" told [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/26/uk-social-media-ban-under-16s-consultation-keir-starmer-backing?ref=themorningintelligence.uk): "I am sceptical about whether a ban will work, but I am sure we will end up backing a ban." There are [plenty of other policies](https://www.onlinesafetyact.net/documents/1189/OSA%5FNetwork%5F%5Fa%5F10-point%5Fplan%5Ffor%5FGovernment.pdf?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) to tackle social media and chatbot harms, but the politics of it is only going one way and Keir Starmer is in no position to resist his MPs, 60 of whom signed a letter [in January ](https://x.com/FredThomasUK/status/2012905067959947440?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk)in support of a ban. ### What to expect The government is billing it as a “[national conversation](https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/online-content/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)”. There will be pilots with teenagers to test interventions, while an academic panel will look at the evidence from Australia, which is also [going after AI chatbots](https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australia-says-it-may-go-after-app-stores-search-engines-ai-age-crackdown-2026-03-01/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) from next week. DSIT is also announcing "MP-led" community and school events. But there is little agreement on a way forward, even among civil society groups. Some support a full ban, while others, like the Molly Rose Foundation, want a new Online Safety Act in this May's King's Speech. Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, meanwhile, has tried to remain neutral and the biggest social media platforms are also hoping to stay out of the public debate. The consultation closes on May 26th and the government will respond by the "summer". Ministers are confident they can move quickly (barring a change of prime minister, of course), thanks to amendments being made to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which returns to Parliament next week. --- ## Faking it MPs also get their first chance in Parliament this afternoon to point out AI-shaped holes in the [Representation of the People Bill](https://whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal54677?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). It’s designed to modernise elections with votes for 16-year-olds and tougher rules on foreign donations to political parties, but the modernisation only goes so far. It ignores online campaigning, AI deepfakes, disinfo and bots abusing candidates. Labour MP **Emily Darlington** is leading the charge to change that, laying up to nine amendments today. “We can’t bury our heads in the sand any longer and pretend that the online world plays no part in our democracy,” she said. But ministers' AI harms omissions ([see Demos’ briefing](https://demos.co.uk/research/epistemic-security-briefing-the-elections-bill/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk)) are a deliberate choice rather than an oversight. They want to [keep the bill narrow](https://x.com/SteveReedMP/status/2021989691856392212?s=20&ref=themorningintelligence.uk) and part of the problem is deepfakes and disinformation sit across loads of legislation. The UK has instead looked at technical solutions, [Electoral Commission boss](https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/162487/pdf/?ref=themorningintelligence.uk) Vijay Rangarajan told MPs in January, including a deepfake detection tool coming ahead of May's elections. --- ## Monday Movers 👩‍💻 *This jobs round-up will feature each Monday. Get in touch to tell everyone your career update.* **All change at the TBI:** **Keegan McBride** has taken over as director of science and technology policy at the Tony Blair Institute, replacing **Jakob Mökander** who has joined General Catalyst. McBride [has got four jobs going too](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/keeganmcbride%5Fim-excited-to-step-into-the-role-of-director-share-7432772858105286656-Uf1r?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAcChcoBcUCarSREKYyA%5Frgl2WeB%5FEBdMxo). **Abby Burke**, meanwhile, has left Public First to join Verity Harding’s outfit Formation Advisory as a senior associate. She'll be working on AI ethics and geopolitics. **Massive job alert:** The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is recruiting for a [**director general role on AI and Emerging Technologies**](https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?jcode=1988037&ref=themorningintelligence.uk). That job is currently being done by **Ollie Ilott** as an interim. --- Right, that’s your lot. Please do share this email with friends and colleagues who may find it useful. No pressure, but my marketing budget is a big fat £0. Until tomorrow, Tom ### What to expect from The Morning Intelligence URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/what-to-expect/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T08:45:35.000Z The Morning Intelligence tells the UK’s AI story through the most-relevant reporting and sharp analysis. It covers **the people, policies and politics shaping AI in the UK, as well as AI's impact on our country.** It aims to set you up for the day (and save you several hours) with intel and insight, anchored in a newsletter that takes less than five minutes to read or listen to. The daily briefing, sent out at 7:30am weekdays, has quickly built an influential and highly engaged readership of 1300 subscribers. It includes senior policymakers, politicians, civil servants, regulators, VCs, lawyers, founders, think tanks, lobbyists and industry groups. **It covers:** \-The people and companies building Britain’s AI future \-The policies, politics and regulation impacting AI in areas like safety, skills, energy, procurement, copyright and competition. \-The geopolitics of the UK's AI strategy \-The AI data centre buildout If you've got something to say about any of the above then do get in touch. **Who’s it for?** This is for anyone who needs to know about AI in the UK, including civil servants, founders, investors, policymakers, politicians, lobbyists, advocacy groups, regulators, academics, journalists, think tankers and law firms. **It will help…** *\-Policy pros overloaded by government papers, consultations and rumours* *\-Think tanks and academia needing clarity* *\-Tech companies facing regulatory and political uncertainty* *\-Investors and founders needing foresight* **What to expect** The Morning Intelligence arrives in your inbox at 7:30 a.m. weekdays, with a link also sent [to our WhatsApp channel (follow here and unmute notifications)](https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7u7ldEgGfHsITNHN0K?ref=themorningintelligence.uk). All content is free until ***Monday,*** ***April 13th.*** After that, free subscribers will see a preview of the top of the newsletter. A [paid subscription](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal) gets you full access and is charged at ***£30/month*** for an individual or ***£20/month*** as an annual subscription. By far the cheapest option is a group subscription (minimum of five seats) which works out at **£15/month** per seat or **£12.50/month** annually. The group subscription costs **70p a day per person** \- something to tell your finance department. This pricing aims to make the product as accessible as possible. It costs a tiny fraction of its nearest comparable product. It won’t publish for two weeks over Christmas or for some of August - we all need a break and I have two young children who need to see their daddy sometimes. I hope you find it useful, good value and occasionally funny. You can find out more about my motivation and the [ideas underpinning it here](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/founders-note/). Thanks for reading and do get in touch with any ideas, tips or state secrets. Tom Bristow Founder & Editor *February 2026* ***editor@themorningintelligence.uk*** ### Why I founded The Morning Intelligence URL: https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/founders-note/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T13:01:51.000Z Artificial intelligence is shaping the future of our country and our individual lives, but keeping up with the pace and complexity of it is hard and time-consuming. That’s why I created The Morning Intelligence: **a daily briefing covering the UK's AI story**. It focuses on the [people, policies and politics shaping Britain's AI future](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/about/). My goal is simple — set you up for the day (and save you hours) by delivering **reliable and relevant intel, insight** **and analysis to help you stay ahead**. I believe journalism should respect your time, meaning the daily newsletter will be snappy, taking no more than five minutes to read or listen to. AI is long on commentary, but short on clarity. The main policy and political debates pit two sides against one another, especially in the [areas I'm covering](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/what-to-expect/). Despite plenty of overlap, my last three years of reporting on AI for POLITICO have shown me that industry and policymakers do not understand each other well enough. As the technology becomes embedded across the economy and public services, this disconnect worries me. **I believe an independent UK media startup, funded by readers and partnerships, can help fill some of that gap**. To do that it needs to take the best bits of British journalism — sharp writing, reliable sourcing and being in nobody's pocket — while also reaching a wider audience than existing expensive policy products can. To make this happen I've [set subscriptions low](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal), starting at 70p-a-day (take that finance department) and until April 13th, all content is free. This project grows out of my experiences, interests and assumptions and they'll be reflected in it. I'll be upfront with my opinions but I will stay non-partisan. I’m not here to cheerlead or trash. I’m optimistic about the UK's future and AI's role in it. Success should be celebrated, but I also believe promises made by those in power need more scrutiny. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/64/3a/643a1c34-0345-4938-afbe-9303e6d36bfb/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0981-2-1-1.PNG) Founder of The Morning Intelligence, Tom Bristow Journalism is all I’ve ever known (career-wise) and I’ve spent the last 16 years telling stories for outlets from Liverpool to Berlin. My job as POLITICO's tech reporter has given me a ringside seat for the last three years as AI has gone from geeky policy circles to the mainstream. Giving up that relatively comfortable journalism job when I have two young children and a mortgage may seem ridiculous, and yes, I’ve gone over it hundreds of times in my head, **but I’m convinced of the following, which is why I'm making this bet:** **\-UK media coverage of AI veers between doom and euphoria.** It is treated as a business or finance story rather than a political, economic or societal one. There is plenty of space to be useful, reasonable and cheerful. **\-AI has already eaten the digital business model of much legacy media, but journalists can’t just give up.** We should use AI to help build something new and better, while remembering that trust can’t be automated. **\-For the UK to make a success of AI, it needs more constructive journalism about AI.** This is my way of helping with that, but I can’t do it alone. If you’re thinking/working on these things too then please get in touch. Still reading? Then this is for you, [***join here***](https://www.themorningintelligence.uk/#/portal)***.*** Tom Bristow Founder & Editor *February 2026* ***editor@themorningintelligence.uk***