Physical AI Needs a Trust Layer—Start at the Silicon
As we enter an era in which artificial intelligence no longer lives solely in the cloud but in autonomous machines, sensors, and robotics that interact with the physical world, one truth becomes unavoidable: AI must be trusted to be useful.
This shift—from Datacenter and software-based AI to Physical AI—demands a new layer of national infrastructure. These AI systems will increasingly make decisions, move autonomously, and operate in complex environments like factories, roads, farms, and homes. Their role is no longer passive; it is embedded in how we move, live, and work.
The implications are profound. Physical AI will touch safety-critical operations, public infrastructure, and even national defence. But here’s the catch: without strong device identity, there is no way to be sure that the device interacting with its environment is legitimate, secure, or behaving as intended.
That’s why the UK’s Silicon and Semiconductor Strategy—the blueprint for our technological sovereignty—must do more than prioritise chip design, AI accelerators, or volume manufacturing. It must bake in trust from the silicon layer up. This means investing in secure technologies, IP, and companies that provide device identity as a foundational capability.
Why Device Identity Matters
Device identity is the ability to cryptographically verify “this device is who it claims to be.” It’s the prerequisite for safe interaction, secure communication, and remote management. In traditional IT, this can be layered on. In Physical AI, it must be embedded.
Without identity, even the smartest AI is a black box—untraceable, untrustworthy, and potentially dangerous. Bad actors could spoof devices, hijack networks, or manipulate data flows. That’s not just a cybersecurity risk—it’s a national security risk.
eSIM: Secure-by-Design and Ready to Scale
This is where eSIM technology comes into play. Born from the mobile industry, eSIM (embedded SIM) has been hardened over two decades through relentless real-world testing against fraud, interception, and tampering. It’s a globally standardised, security-certified technology that embeds tamper-resistant cryptographic identity directly into the hardware of a device.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, we can reuse this proven secure element—already deployed at massive scale in smartphones, wearables, and connected devices worldwide. This means Physical AI systems can immediately benefit from:
- Cryptographic identity at the silicon level
- Remote provisioning and management
- Secure lifecycle control from manufacture to end-of-life
It is the ideal trust anchor for Physical AI systems that operate across national borders and outside of traditional IT boundaries. By embedding eSIM or similar secure elements into future UK-designed chips, we ensure that every Physical AI device can be verified, trusted, and managed—before it connects, before it moves, before it thinks.
Strategic Value of the UK and to the UK
The UK has a long-standing, globally respected legacy in signals intelligence and secure communications—from Bletchley Park to GCHQ. This heritage isn’t just historical pride; it’s a strategic asset. It gives the UK a unique foundation of expertise, infrastructure, and credibility to lead in the next frontier of digital trust. Embedding secure identity into silicon is a natural evolution of this legacy—translating decades of intelligence leadership into hardware that can power and protect AI systems in the wild.
So for the UK, this is an industrial opportunity. Embedding secure identity into silicon gives UK technologies a built-in compliance advantage in international markets increasingly defined by trust, transparency, and regulation. It also positions UK firms to play a leading role in global supply chains that demand secure, resilient infrastructure.
We already have the ingredients: deep mobile security expertise, a growing semiconductor ecosystem, and world-class cybersecurity talent. But to seize this opportunity, we must act decisively.
Boosting Safe and Responsible Futures
This foundation of eSIM-enabled, exportable trust also plays a pivotal role in accelerating the safe and responsible adoption of robotics and Physical AI across sectors—from precision agriculture and advanced manufacturing to logistics and healthcare. By ensuring every device is verifiably secure and manageable from deployment to decommissioning, we unlock the conditions for scale without compromising on safety or accountability. This trust infrastructure lowers barriers to adoption, encourages regulatory confidence, and ultimately drives productivity gains and economic growth—a direct boost to the UK’s ambition to lead in high-value AI-driven industries.
What the UK Must Do Now
1. Fund Security IP and Secure Identity Startups
Companies developing secure-by-design identity solutions—whether through eSIM, secure enclaves, or cryptographic stacks—are national assets. These businesses need targeted investment to scale and embed their IP into UK-designed chips and systems.
2. Incentivise Secure Design in Silicon
Government incentives and procurement standards should reward designs that embed security and identity from the outset—not as an afterthought.
3. Embed Security in the UK Silicon Roadmap
As new fabs, foundries, and design hubs are built, ensure security IP is treated as essential infrastructure. Security is not a “feature”—it’s a platform on which AI innovation can thrive.
4. Champion Exportable Trust
Devices built on UK secure identity should be positioned as high-trust alternatives in global markets. Secure silicon is not just a technology—it's a diplomatic tool in the age of digital geopolitics.
The Time To Act Is Now
The UK’s aspiration to lead in Physical AI will not be realised through performance alone. It will be secured by embedding trust at the hardware level—making sure every decision a device makes can be traced, verified, and governed. Let’s not bolt on security after the fact. Let’s lead by example and bake it into our silicon from day one. Trust is an essential part of Silicon, and the UK has the opportunity to lead the world in it.
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Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.
Today, Rory leads techUK's emerging technologies activity across everything from immersive, web3, AI and robotics to space, gaming & metaverse.
This involves co-running techUK's flagship Innovation campaign, managing four series (including the 'Meet the Innovators' interview series), and launching 4-6-month 'sprint campaigns' on transformative technologies and sectors.
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