Secure AI begins with trusted technology

Artificial intelligence dominated this year’s Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, with ministers, businesses and technology leaders united in wanting AI to boost productivity, improve public services and drive growth.

But amid the excitement about models, agents and automation, one vital question receives too little attention: Can we trust the devices and infrastructure AI relies on?

AI cyber security discussions often focus on models, data and governance, while overlooking the technology and infrastructure that enable AI to be deployed and run.

The Trojan Horse offers an enduring lesson: the threat was not forced inside; it was invited in.

Every device has a history of sourcing, manufacturing, transport, assembly and configuration. If that process cannot be verified, risk may enter before any AI application is deployed. As AI adoption grows, endpoints become more valuable targets - gateways to sensitive data, AI workloads, intellectual property and critical systems. Yet many organisations consider cyber security only after deployment.

Cyber risk now extends upstream across the technology supply chain, from sourcing and manufacturing to logistics and distribution. Trust must be verified, not assumed.

AI resilience requires AI at the edge

Although cloud infrastructure will remain essential, AI is becoming more distributed, running directly on PCs, workstations and other intelligent devices. AI at the edge can reduce latency, improve reliability, sustain operations when connectivity is disrupted, and give organisations greater control over sensitive data. For the UK, distributed AI also reduces dependence on a few centralised systems, creating a more resilient digital ecosystem, just as diversity strengthens energy, telecoms and other critical infrastructure.

A successful AI economy will combine world-class data centres with secure, intelligent endpoints that run workloads closer to users, widening access to innovation.

In distributed AI, security and resilience begin at the edge - not just in the cloud. AI security must therefore cover the entire technology stack, from models and AI applications to hardware, firmware and supply chains. The UK’s AI leadership depends on trust as well as innovation. Businesses and government will adopt AI only if the underlying technology is secure and resilient.

Organisations need not manage this alone. Trusted technology partners should demonstrate security from design and production through deployment, management and retirement.

When investing, organisations should ask: Can provenance be verified? Are manufacturing and chain-of-custody secure? Is hardware protected through delivery and refurbishment? Is there evidence, not just assurance? - These questions matter as AI becomes embedded in everyday operations.

Successful organisations will recognise that security starts before the first prompt, model or device reaches an employee. As the UK accelerates AI adoption, trust must underpin innovation. The organisations that can verify trust throughout the technology lifecycle will be best positioned to adopt AI securely.

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Meet the team

Jill Broom

Head of Cyber Resilience, techUK

Jill leads the techUK Cyber Resilience programme, having originally joined techUK in October 2020 as a Programme Manager for the Cyber and Central Government programmes. She is responsible for managing techUK's work across the cyber security ecosystem, bringing industry together with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Jill also provides the industry secretariat for the Cyber Growth Partnership, the industry and government conduit for supporting the growth of the sector. A key focus of her work is to strengthen the public–private partnership across cyber to support further development of UK cyber security and resilience policy.

Before joining techUK, Jill worked as a Senior Caseworker for an MP, advocating for local communities, businesses and individuals, so she is particularly committed to techUK’s vision of harnessing the power of technology to improve people’s lives. Jill is also an experienced editorial professional and has delivered copyediting and writing services for public-body and SME clients as well as publishers.

Email:: [email protected]
Website:: www.techuk.org/
LinkedIn:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-broom-19aa824

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Annie Collings

Senior Programme Manager, Cyber Resilience, techUK

Annie is the Programme Manager for Cyber Resilience at techUK. She first joined as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.

In her role, Annie supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector. Annie also coordinates events, engages with policy makers and represents techUK at a number of cyber security events.

Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.

Email:: [email protected]
Twitter:: anniecollings24
LinkedIn:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-collings-270150158/

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Olivia Staples

Junior Programme Manager - Cyber Resilience, techUK

Olivia Staples joined techUK in May 2025 as a Junior Programme Manager in the Cyber Resilience team.

She supports the programs mission to promote cyber resilience by engaging key commercial and government stakeholders to shape the cyber resilience policy towards increased security and industry growth. Olivia assists in member engagement, event facilitation and communications support.

Before joining techUK, Olivia gained experience in research, advocacy, and strategic communications across several international organisations. At the Munich Security Conference, she supported stakeholder engagement and contributed to strategic communications. She also worked closely with local and national government stakeholders in Spain and Italy, where she was involved in policy monitoring and advocacy for both public and private sector clients.

Olivia holds an MSc in Political Science (Comparative Politics and Conflict Studies) from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from University College London (UCL).

Outside of tech, Olivia enjoys volunteering with local charities and learning Norwegian.

Email:: [email protected]

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Secure AI begins with trusted technology

AI resilience requires AI at the edge