Sir Keir Starmer admitted yesterday that Brexit is helping Britain’s bid to become an artificial intelligence superpower. He also insisted that the technology revolution would not destroy jobs or risk NHS patient data. 

Despite being an ardent Remainer, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the UK now has the freedom to develop its own approach to AI in what he described as the ‘global race of our lives’. 

He said his Government would not follow the regulations set out by the European Union, which have driven away tech giants such as Apple and Meta and are widely seen as a burden on start-ups. 

In a major speech on AI, Sir Keir said: ‘When it comes to regulation, we will be pro-growth and pro-innovation. 

‘I know there are different approaches around the world, but we are now in control of our regulatory regime so we will go our own way on this.’ 

Asked if he agreed this was a Brexit benefit, he replied: ‘You’re right to say there’s different models around the world, there’s a sort of EU approach, a US approach, but we have the ability to choose the one that we think is in our best interests, and we intend to do so.’ 

Speaking at University College London’s new campus in the Olympic park, the Prime Minister vowed that Britain ‘will be one of the great AI superpowers’. 

He said his Government will be ‘the best state partner anywhere in the world’ for innovative firms by speeding up planning approvals, improving access to the power grid and granting access to public data for research. 

Sir Keir Starmer said Britain would ‘go its own way’ in approaching artificial intelligence

Sir Keir said his Government will be ‘the best state partner anywhere in the world’ for innovative firms

He insisted that AI will improve working people’s lives, and would even ‘make public services more human’ by reducing form-filling and paperwork for professionals. 

He declared: ‘It can spot potholes quicker, speed up planning applications, reduce job centre form-filling, help with the fight against tax avoidance and almost halve the time that social workers spend on paperwork.’ 

He was challenged on whether the creation of a National Data Library of public records could lead to NHS patient records being sold. 

Asked if health data will be available for commercial use as well as to researchers, Sir Keir replied: ‘We will stay in control of it, because we need, on the one hand – all anonymised of course – to use the potential of that data, but on the other hand make sure it’s properly protected and the way to protect it in my view is to keep control of it.’ 

It is understood that the Government has not ruled out commercial use of the data, but that national security grounds will also be taken into account, making it unlikely it could be sold to countries such as China. 

The PM also denied the AI revolution will lead to huge job losses in old industries, saying it would create new roles. 

‘This will change the work that people do, but it won’t just lead to lots of job losses. 

‘On the contrary today, because of the investment in AI we’ve announced – £14billion of investment – that’s 12,000 jobs, a thousand of them announced today to be in the Liverpool area. These are brand-new jobs.’ 

The PM speaks with researchers during a visit on Monday to the Manufacturing Futures Lab at UCL

The PM denied that AI would lead to huge job losses in old industries, adding it would create new roles

The Government has said it will ‘take forward’ all 50 recommendations made by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, who was commissioned by Science Secretary Peter Kyle in July to come up with a plan to identify AI opportunities

In the Commons, MPs warned that Government proposals, including yesterday’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, risk damaging Britain’s creative industries. 

Tory John Cooper highlighted the plan that would make companies ‘opt out’ from having their work used by AI systems. 

He asked: ‘Does the Secretary of State not agree with me and with the News Media Association that that would be a watering down of our exemplary copyright laws?’ 

Science Secretary Peter Kyle insisted it was a ‘gift’ for Britain to have such strong creative and technology sectors and that he would not ‘be forced to make a choice’ between them.