Morning, Tuesday, 22nd April 2025
Online
This conference will examine the way forward for AI policy in the UK, legislative and regulatory priorities, and the way forward for enabling AI to contribute to productivity and economic growth.
Stakeholders and policymakers will assess next steps following the Government having accepted all recommendations in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, including investment in AI infrastructure, alongside development of AI Growth Zones, a National Data Library, and a Compute Strategy. Attendees will consider how policy priorities might also align with broader approaches expected in the Industrial Strategy’s forthcoming Digital and Technologies Sector Plan.
AI Growth Zones
Areas for discussion include the designation and creation of AI Growth Zones, wider priorities for public-private partnerships, and channelling AI development into impactful regional growth. Delegates will assess strategies for attracting inward investment, as well as approaches to planning, infrastructure, and compute capacity, with the Compute Strategy expected in spring 2025 and government commitments to expand the capacity of the AI Research Resource.
Legislation
Sessions in the agenda also assess the future for AI-related legislation and the shape of potential requirements being placed on the most powerful AI models, with the Government due to consult on proposals later this year. Priorities for providing regulatory certainty in the development and deployment of AI systems will also be discussed, as well as the way forward for mitigating risks for consumers and concerns for content creators, alongside next steps for the AI Security Institute in tackling AI risks with security implications.
International policy developments, market dynamics and UK competitiveness
Varying international approaches to AI governance will be discussed, with the UK and US having not signed the Paris Declaration that focused on the impact of AI on human rights, sustainability, and inclusivity. Delegates will assess implications of movements in policy and industry practice in the US, and wider geopolitical dynamics, for markets and the interplay between ethical considerations and opportunities for innovation and technology adoption.
Priorities for the UK’s international competitiveness will also be examined, with delegates assessing the way forward for improving the training and retention of UK talent, as well as strategic approaches to the expansion of talent pathways and diversification of the workforce, if skills commitments outlined in the Action Plan are to be achieved.
Regulation
Discussion will also focus on key considerations for regulation to support innovation and sector growth, including support needed to scale-up regulators’ AI capabilities. Priorities for supporting AI adoption will be examined, including next steps for collaboration with industry and regulators in the implementation of pro-innovation initiatives such as regulatory sandboxes, and the way forward for building public trust.
Copyright and data
Delegates will look at the future of the UK’s copyright regime, including the relationship between the AI sector and rights holders, issues around access to material for AI model training, and implications of amendments to the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The impact of data mining on the creative industries will be discussed, as well as the future for developer transparency and global AI competitiveness. With the Government committing to the development of a National Data Library as part of the Action Plan, it will be an opportunity to discuss strategic approaches to unlocking data assets, including designation of public data, priorities for architecture design, and the impact on privacy and security.
AI assurance
Further discussion is expected on priorities for growth of the AI assurance market in the UK, including co-creation and implementation of a sector roadmap, key considerations for enabling interoperability of AI assurance, and next steps for development of the AI Assurance Platform recently launched by DSIT. Delegates will assess the functionality of the AI Management Essentials tool, support needed for SMEs and start-ups in implementing responsible AI systems, and key considerations for the future of AI governance.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Lizzie Greenhalgh, Deputy Director, AI Regulation, DSIT; and Professor Helen Margetts, Director, Public Policy Programme, The Alan Turing Institute; and Professor, Society and the Internet, University of Oxford. We are in touch with further senior contributors.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DESNZ; DfT; DHSC; FCDO; HM Treasury; IPO; ICO; the House of Commons Library; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; National Crime Agency; Education Scotland; DAERA, NI; Department for the Economy, NI; and The Scottish Government.
