'Nothing is off the table'

Good morning,

I’ve tried to stay out of the 'AI will kill us debate' because aspects of it are so extreme it’s hard to have a conversation about what legislation or guardrails are needed. Secondly, we’ve been hearing about it for so many years that a proper analysis needs to start with why now.

But the debate has shifted fast in the last two weeks from researchers to Parliament with policy consequences regardless of where you stand on the actual risk. The AI minister has now said "nothing is off the table" on future legislation.

Happening Today 📆

OK then: The Scottish Parliament will vote today on whether to back a moratorium on new data centre applications.

Get the foundations right: TechUK has published a report this morning describing Britain's digital infrastructure as a "genuine strength but mounting risk," warning that the foundations underpinning AI, smart manufacturing and digital public services are under strain. It wants a ten-year digital infrastructure strategy by 2027 and a Cabinet Office minister to deliver it.

Working on it: The LSE's Global Forum for AI begins this morning. Separately, Organise presents an AI Early Warning System dashboard in Westminster this afternoon, tracking how low-paid workers are experiencing AI.

Adoption rules: UK workers are spending £1bn of their own money a year on AI tools, according to a survey that raises questions about corporate governance and adoption. The Deloitte GenAI Workforce Survey of 25,000 workers found that nearly one in five AI users fund their own tools, while a third are using AI without company approval.

Last chance: Ofgem's consultation on charging data centre developers for a place in the grid connection queue closes today.