Reflecting on techUK’s AI Vision to Value Conference

Our CEO Julian David OBE opened the conference by discussing how the UK needs to regalvanise its efforts and move forward deliberately, responsibly, and at pace. 

Julian highlighted the momentum created by the AI Opportunities Action Plan, setting the stage for a day of discussion around delivery and long-term impact. 

He acknowledged that expectations are high because the UK has real, world-leading strengths that we can harness to shape and lead the development and application of AI. But he urged attendees to remain clear-eyed in a global race where competition is intense. Other countries are moving fast with scale and ambition, and Julian warned the UK AI sector that now is not the time for complacency. 

Julian concluded his remarks with a call to move from vision to value and as a sector to be clearer — and more confident — about AI’s benefits and risks. 

In his virtual keynote, Minister Narayan highlighted that the first anniversary of the AI Opportunities Action Plan is not just a milestone but a moment to focus on the future. 

A strong global reputation  

He emphasised the UK’s strengthened global reputation on AI thanks to its esteemed research ecosystem that houses four of the top ten global research institutions. He noted the importance of pairing this research excellence with the data, talent, and compute resources needed to turn breakthroughs into economic opportunities. 

AI maker, not an AI taker 

Minister Narayan stressed that the UK must be an AI maker, not an AI taker, highlighting the role of the AI Sovereign Unit in driving this ambition. He framed the current moment as a once in a generation opportunity to bring together government, industry, and investors to relentlessly pursue the next wave of British AI innovation. 

Key initiatives in motion 

The Minister outlined key initiatives to support this vision, including the AI Research Resource, which provides free compute to startups and researchers to train new models and test ideas, and the introduction of AI Growth Zones to boost infrastructure across the UK. Government procurement reforms were highlighted as a mechanism to create revenue opportunities for companies, alongside the creation of new AI Ambassadors to champion the UK ecosystem globally. 

The challenge ahead 

Minister Narayan also acknowledged ongoing challenges. Only 18 percent of UK businesses currently use AI, underscoring the need to focus on adoption to ensure companies can scale. He concluded that despite these challenges, the UK possesses the talent, research strength, and funding to lead globally in AI.

Our first panel of the day explored how the UK can secure a competitive edge by adopting AI technologies quickly and at scale.  

Adoption, adoption, adoption 

The panel discussed progress under the AI Opportunities Action Plan, highlighting where rollout and scaling are working well and where adoption remains piecemeal. It considered which sectors, from financial services to public services, demonstrate UK leadership in AI deployment, and what barriers may be holding back wider adoption across the economy. 

The discussion emphasised the role of industry and government in supporting faster adoption. The insights shared by the panel covered the need for confidence among users, practical guidance for deployment, and the importance of ensuring that the workforce is prepared to embrace AI tools effectively. The panel concluded that adoption, trust, and investment create a reinforcing loop, which could be leveraged to accelerate UK AI leadership globally. 

Breakout session 

This panel explored fundamental pieces of “infrastructure” that will support AI adoption across the UK – data, data centres, and compute. While panellists discussed their frank opinions on the compute sections of the AI Opportunities Action Plan thus far,  they stressed that 2026 was an even more critical year for delivering on those same data and infrastructure goals. 

Discussions centred around how to leverage data infrastructure need to account for the full AI technology stack needed to unlock public value and private sector returns, including data analytics and infrastructure providers. 

Data and infrastructure are both critical 

A key focus was also on how data is equally as crucial as models and compute capacity, especially as the UK tries to deploy AI across public services. Another key focus was on AI Growth Zones. Particularly, discussion centred around how if coordinated with other initiatives, skills partnerships, and regional AI adoption activities, these announced infrastructure investments could be that much more effective. 

Ultimately, the panellists came together to agree on the need to move at pace to ensure the UK maintains a competitive position globally, while also underlining that careful coordination is required to make infrastructure investments effective. 

Presentation 

Owen Larter presented DeepMind’s recent advances in AI, highlighting practical deployments in education, healthcare, and scientific research. The presentation focused on collaborations with UK schools, universities, and government bodies to drive adoption and improve access to AI technologies. The presentation emphasised the importance of applying AI to real-world problems, demonstrating tangible benefits, and building trust across sectors. 

Presentation 

We were pleased to be joined by DSIT as they reflected on the AI Opportunities Action Plan one year on from its publication. The presentation discussed how DSIT’s 2025 focused on the building blocks needed for a thriving UK AI industry, including investment in compute, talent, and adoption.  

This fireside chat explored the upcoming AI Impact Summit in New Delhi and what it means for the UK’s role in the global AI ecosystem. His Excellency Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK, joined our CEO to discuss India’s objectives for the Summit, particularly its focus on AI impact, and how international partners, including the UK, should interpret the shift in the Summit spotlight. 

Deepening UK-India Collaboration 

The discussion highlighted the deepening collaboration between the UK and India across technology and innovation, considering how AI could catalyse further cooperation through joint research initiatives, shared testbeds, skills exchanges, and infrastructure partnerships. The chat emphasised the role of tech diplomacy and aligned standards as tools to support interoperability without constraining innovation. 

The conversation also reflected on UK-India relations and referenced techUK’s July 2025 UK-India policy paper with the Confederation of Indian Industry, which recommended support to incentivise cross-border tech collaboration. The discussion explored opportunities for near-term impact, including initiatives that strengthen innovation pipelines, accelerate adoption, and build mutual trust. 

Discussion also focused on how industry plays a critical role in making the India AI Impact Summit a success, through practical engagement and responsible deployment.  

Breakout session 

The panel examined how AI is being deployed in public services and identified what is needed to scale solutions across government. The discussion highlighted the impact of the AI Opportunities Action Plan in creating strong incentives and structure to adopt AI in the public sector. 

Procurement as a catalyst 

The panel considered how procurement and policy can act as catalysts for adoption, explored where pilots are successfully scaling, and identified common operational friction points. Challenges include workforce skills and organisational culture, both of which influence the successful integration of AI into public services. 

Tapping untapped potential 

Panellists acknowledged the progress already made with implementing AI solutions in public sector but noted that there is much more transformative potential that remains yet untapped. They reflected on opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity while ensuring services meet policy objectives. They also emphasised the importance of central support, collaboration between government teams and industry, and clear signals to guide implementation across public sector organisations. 

Breakout session 

The panel explored the UK’s AI assurance ecosystem and the role of assurance in promoting responsible AI. The panel discussion highlighted the distinction between responsible AI, which ensures AI systems are safe and accountable, and AI assurance, which provides mechanisms to demonstrate that standards are met. 

The developing AI assurance market 

The discussion covered the development of the UK AI assurance market, including skills frameworks, data access guidelines, innovation funding, and the formation of a consortium to operationalise assurance, as seen in DSIT's Trusted Third Party Assurance Roadmap. Regulators, including those of DRCRF, were highlighted as key partners in supporting transparency, conducting audits, and aligning technical standards across sectors. 

The business case 

The panel also discussed the business case for AI assurance, noting high demand in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public services, and highlighted the importance of standards such as ISO 42001. Noting assurance as the cost of scaling and sustaining any AI development and deployment. Skills pipelines, professional development, and modular certification frameworks were considered as a next step for sustaining growth in assurance capabilities. 

Further challenges 

The panel addressed challenges in detecting AI-generated content and maintaining public trust through verification methods, emphasising the need for ongoing, iterative assurance processes rather than one-off exercises. Recommendations for 2026 included leveraging procurement and policy incentives, fostering collaboration, and using open-source and academic partnerships to strengthen the ecosystem. 

The panel discussed the UK’s regulatory landscape for AI, covering everything from copyright to broad and narrow regulation. The discussion highlighted the importance of clarity for innovators, the role of regulatory frameworks in giving confidence to customers and investors, and the need for continued government engagement. 

Regulatory coordination 

The panel considered fragmentation risks, the need for a coordinated approach across regulators, and the value of sandboxes and other mechanisms to test AI products safely. Insights covered lessons from the Online Safety Act, the importance of iterative regulation, and aligning UK frameworks with international standards while enabling innovation. 

Regulation as a driver 

The discussion also considered how regulation affects investment, commercialisation, and talent deployment. The panel emphasised that clear, well-resourced, and collaborative regulation can accelerate adoption and foster a competitive AI ecosystem in the UK. 

The panel examined how the UK can leverage its unique mix of world-class research, sector expertise, and credible regulation to drive AI growth. The discussion focused on how the UK government and industry can work together to scale ideas faster, attract investment, and retain talent. 

The UK’s defining strengths 

Panellists reflected on successes and surprises from the AI Opportunities Action Plan and debated the UK’s defining strengths in AI, including research, higher education, and sector-led innovation. 

Partnership and strategic influence 

The panel also explored how partnership models between the UK government and industry can be made faster, bolder, and more globally visible. The panel considered the role of AI Growth Labs, the importance of capital for scaling companies, and how sector-focused approaches can translate into economic and strategic influence globally. 

The panel concluded with a reflection on the UK’s global message in AI, identifying concrete actions to reinforce leadership and attract investment, innovation, and talent. 

Julian closed the day by thanking sponsors KPMG, Coreweave, and Autodesk, all speakers, and attendees for their contributions. He highlighted the momentum created by the AI Opportunities Action Plan, emphasising the need to not stand still.  

To paraphrase, 2026 is the year of pace, delivery, and confidence. Complexity is not an excuse for inaction but a reason to engage seriously. Adoption remains the next critical test for realising productivity gains, economic growth, and better outcomes across the economy. Julian reinforced that the UK must combine ambition with clarity to secure a durable global advantage in AI.