UK AI Strategy: Driving Global Security and Sovereign Innovation

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has called for a decisive shift in the United Kingdom’s approach to artificial intelligence, urging a move toward greater support for domestic tech companies to protect national security and economic prosperity.

During a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on April 28, 2026, Kendall stated that the UK must seize the initiative regarding AI development or risk being left at the mercy of external entities. She framed the technology as the defining currency of the current age, comparing its importance to that of navies, railways and power grids in previous eras.

Strategic Collaboration with Middle Powers

The UK government intends to collaborate with other middle powers to address the over-concentration of AI control. According to reporting from Reuters and Politico, this strategy aims to counter the dominance of a small number of global entities that currently control a significant portion of AI compute and infrastructure.

Kendall warned that nations failing to master AI risk ceding control over their economic and security futures. The government’s objective is to ensure that the control of AI systems—including where they are built and how they operate—remains a priority for defense, energy, and economic security.

Hardware and Infrastructure Initiatives

As part of this strategy, the government is developing a UK AI hardware plan. This initiative focuses on securing the country’s future capability in chips and the semiconductor technologies that provide the foundation for AI systems.

The focus on hardware is intended to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and ensure that the UK maintains the necessary computing power to support its domestic AI sector.

Sovereign AI Funding and Creative Concerns

The government is also utilizing a sovereign AI fund to provide backing for firms specializing in areas such as drug discovery and high-efficiency supercomputing. This fund is designed to scale British AI capabilities and foster innovation within the private sector.

However, the implementation of the sovereign AI fund has faced scrutiny. The Times reports that the fund must address the concerns of the creative industry, as artists and content creators express fears over how AI development may impact their intellectual property and livelihoods.

The government’s broader objective is to cement the UK’s position in the new technological era by integrating AI capabilities across both public and private sectors to increase resilience and productivity.