Technology Secretary and the Prime Minister’s
Special Adviser on Business and Investment, Franck Petitgas, led
the first meeting of the AI Opportunity Forum last
Monday (12 February) to lead discussions on how AI technology can be rolled
out across organisations of all sizes – helping companies to
unlock new opportunities and ramp up their productivity.
The Secretary of State was joined by the forum’s business and
tech leaders in Downing Street to discuss how we can work
together to break down the barriers facing their industries in
adopting AI technologies.
Members spoke about the progress already being made in various
sectors across the economy to seize the potential
of AI, and the
huge productivity gains on offer.
They also discussed the challenges businesses face to go further,
from large corporations to SMEs. Discussions
centred around the importance of safety and public trust
in AI,
upskilling the workforce and fostering collaboration with
academia. They also spoke about the key enablers, from compute
and energy infrastructure to data, that will
underpin AI adoption.
They agreed the forum would be a driving force behind identifying
practical solutions needed to support businesses to make the most
of AI.
They looked forward to the next meetings planned for April and
June, with further, interim discussions also due to take place.
