Former Dragons' Den investor Piers Linney has thrown his support behind the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's 'AI Opportunities Action Plan', recently unveiled by Keir Starmer but crafted under tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford's guidance.
The government's strategy aims to harness AI for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's economic growth, as reported by .
Linney, in a LinkedIn update, commended the plan: "Falling behind will lead to global irrelevance and wealth destruction. Catching up in an exponential world is impossible."
He added, "The global AI race is now on. Nations that act quickly will lead, and those that hesitate risk being left behind. This plan signals the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s intent not just to keep up but to set the pace."
He also shared a video of Clifford from the department for science, innovation and technology (DSIT), describing it as "a step in the right direction".
As executive chairman and co-founder of Implement AI, Linney has been vocal about the necessity for regulation and strategic planning, suggesting on X: "We need a º£½ÇÊÓƵ Manhattan Project to plan for exponential future across all policy".
While endorsing the initiative, Linney did raise concerns, particularly questioning who benefits from the new data centres and emphasising the importance of making data "accessible to all businesses, not just the big players"
He also emphasised the necessity for more audacious strategies to tackle the issues faced by SMEs, which makeup 99 per cent of º£½ÇÊÓƵ businesses. "The º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s 5.6m SMEs must be supported to implement AI effectively. Applying linear plans to an exponential future will not work", he stated.
"The AI Action Plan was light on the bold strategies that will be needed to achieve this. Applying the linear plans of the past to an exponential future will not work. The º£½ÇÊÓƵ must plug the holes and reduce the barriers seen in the EU AI Act with its own version."
