The Prime Minister opened Cabinet with an overview of recent and
upcoming business engagement, saying he wants to drive a positive
agenda for business and investment that will deliver sustainable
growth.
Cabinet agreed on the continued importance of working closely
with businesses to build a more secure and prosperous country
while embedding practical business in sights into policy making.
Turning to science and technology, the Prime Minister said that
he wants the UK to be at the forefront of this on the world stage
so the UK reaps the economic and social benefits.
He added that in no other area is this more important than
artificial intelligence.
Cabinet heard from Secretary of State for the Department for
Science, Innovation and Technology who set out the priorities
for the new department of science and technology and how the
government was looking to regulate to innovate on Al.
The Chief Scientific Officer, Dame , and the Director of GCHQ,
Sir Jeremy Fleming updated on the latest developments in this
area, including potential applications and risks.
Cabinet agreed on the transformative potential of Al and the
vital importance of retaining public confidence in its use - and
the need for regulation that keeps people safe without preventing
innovation.
The PM emphasised that we need to ensure we remain competitive
which is why we confirmed our intention in the Integrated Review
Refresh to establish a new government-industry Taskforce on
foundation models.
It will be modelled on the Vaccines Taskforce, led by an industry
expert reporting directly to the PM and the Secretary of State
for Science Innovation and Technology.
The PM concluded Cabinet by saying that given the importance of
artificia intelligence to our economy and national security, this
could be one of the most important policies we pursue in the next
few years which is why must get this right.
