Hard work ahead for new government on tech

I’m expecting a busy autumn where #technology and #innovation meets the public realm.

The new UK government has big ambition for tech but the hard work of execution comes next.

“A new way of doing government that is more joined up...and harnesses new technology”, from the Prime Minister;? science and technology are a major "sustainable route to wealth creation, opportunity generation, secure employment and economic growth", for the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary.?

The vision of five missions, enabled by technology, now needs to be filled out and made to succeed in the teeth of traditional structures of government.

An improved digital centre of government is one to watch, a major focus for Peter Kyle and helped by top talent like Martha Lane Fox who knows that “the UK has an opportunity to deliver modern, reliable public services that benefit citizens.”

The Budget and short-medium term spending decisions via the December Spending Review will be significant, and I hope that the work of @mattcliffordef on AI opportunities is used to the best advantage of the UK.

Even more weighty will be the approach to the multi-year Spending Review in July 2025.? Only here can you really address innovation in public services – and if we don’t, public provision in healthcare and so many other areas will be unlikely to keep up.? Eg:? NHS cannot embrace AI until its basic IT systems are up to scratch | NHS | The Guardian Sir Martin Landray

Despite noises off, I hope the Chancellor is successful in her International Investment Summit in ten days’ time, setting out to catalyse investment in the UK.?

Continuing the high-octane autumn, we expect a first draft of an industrial strategy around the Budget, which will need to provide a sound way forward for the British tech sector and substantiate the missions in action.? Business will want to engage closely (as also with several other initiatives like the reform of employment rights).

Skills remain high on businesses’ agendas and I’m following the formulation of the new Skills England closely as well as the agenda being continued by Liz Kendall, my successor at Work and Pensions, to unlock economic inactivity.? (In #science terms, a quick shout out to BioIndustry Association (BIA) who brought together a great view this week on developing the workforce in medicines and advanced therapies manufacturing)

Parliament gets back to work next week after party conference season, and there is a set of bills that tee up technology.? The Product Safety and Metrology Bill is already underway and aims to reflect modern supply chains and technology including in relation to online marketplaces.? Much action will be in its secondary legislation.? The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill and Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will play important roles.?

The one everyone’s waiting for will be a future bill to regulate AI.? I’m not surprised to hear this will be coming next year as I know first-hand how complex it will be to draft.? Political lessons are visible in California and technical graft is still the challenge to Brussels’ efforts – all in a fast moving environment where boards and organisations are operationalising their use of the technology.? Even if the government seeks to limit the bill’s scope – likely around safety agreements, and the statutory basis of the AI Safety Institute, which I first set up as the Foundation Model Taskforce – there will be considerable pressure in both Parliament and the real economy.

As Technology Secretary, I wanted regulators to cover some practical ground for their sectors before defining what any new legislation may need to do.? I’m therefore closely watching the establishment of a new Regulatory Innovation Office in the coming months.? Its aims include supporting the rapid and safe introduction of new technologies with high potential benefit;? setting strategic priorities for regulators;? and speeding up regulatory approval for innovative products and services.? It needs careful design and handling.?

This is no small to-do list.? The government needs to focus hard on achieving what it intends to do, and make sure there are clear foundations of support from industry and the public.

Correctly enabled, #science, #technology and #innovation are crucial parts of the UK’s success.