Andy Burnham team plans changes to the UK AI strategy

In short: Advisers to Andy Burnham are working on a plan to reshape the UK’s approach to AI, with more focus on British communities, workers, and control over key infrastructure.

What happened

People briefed on the discussions told the Financial Times that Andy Burnham’s team is drafting a new technology and AI strategy. The work includes talks with people from the AI sector, including former tech minister Josh Simons, and researchers Antonio Weiss and Martha Dacombe.

The group is expected to move away from what they describe as a US-focused approach linked to former UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson. One person involved said the goal is to make AI “work for British companies and the UK public” rather than mainly benefiting large US tech firms.

A major part of the thinking is “tech sovereignty,” meaning the UK having more control over important technology it relies on. Supporters of this approach point to recent US export controls on Anthropic, an AI company, which temporarily limited access to some of its AI models. They also raised concerns about who owns and runs data centres, which are large buildings full of computers that power online services (like a utility plant, but for computing).

Burnham’s team is also discussing training for workers who may lose jobs due to AI, and giving the Competition and Markets Authority more freedom to address market power in digital services. They have also questioned the push for driverless cars in London, asking who benefits and who could be harmed, such as taxi and ride-hailing drivers.

Why it matters

AI policy is not just about new gadgets. It can affect jobs, local investment, and who controls the systems that store data and run essential services. If the UK shifts toward local benefits and UK ownership, it could change where new data centres are built, how workers are supported, and which companies gain from public spending.

Source: Financial Times