Rigby's renewal pitch

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. '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. There will be more media literacy classes at schools, and the National Curriculum will be updated to train pupils to spot disinformation.