- British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opens London Tech Week 2026
- Starmer praises impact of AI and says UK is ‘on the verge’ of something great
- But it also calls on tech giants to do more to protect users.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has praised the potential impact of AI as the technology continues to spread across the country.
In his keynote speech at London Tech Week 2026, the Prime Minister praised the impact of AI across the UK and looked forward to a “hopeful” future.
However, he also warned tech giants to step up their efforts to keep users safe online and announced a new push to crack down on children sending and receiving explicit messages.
‘Hopeful’ AI future for the UK
“When people look to the future, I don’t want them to see something they can endure or struggle with, but something they can hope for,” the Prime Minister said.
Starmer described how the government is refusing to bury its head in the sand or completely remove AI guardrails, instead taking a third route, “where we support businesses, create jobs and create the economy of the future, but we never lose sight of who got us here.”
Starmer highlighted a former soap factory in Warrington, which is now being converted into an artificial intelligence data centre, as a shining example of the transformative potential that technology can bring to the UK.
“There are stories like this across the country,” the Prime Minister said, “they all speak to the same possibility, giving us a glimpse of an emerging technological revolution – a revolution with the potential to transform lives, strengthen communities and create opportunities across the country.”
“This is a revolution that Britain is uniquely positioned to lead,” he added, pointing out that half of all European technology investment this year has been made in the UK. “Britain has every reason to be confident, we are on the brink of something truly extraordinary.”
However, Starmer also had harsh words for the tech giants who he says have so far not done enough to crack down on areas such as the sending of nude images.
Specifically, it called on technology companies operating in the UK to introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images.
“If they choose not to, we will act and change the law,” he said, “when it comes to the safety of our children, failure is not an option.”
Starmer also noted that the pace of change in areas such as AI and the broader technology space should not be an excuse for harming vulnerable groups, and said the government will act “swiftly” and “firmly” when technology poses a threat to “our people, to our children.”
Starmer dates back to the UK government’s battle with Grok, X’s AI platform, which was widely criticized for allowing users to create explicit images of AI.
“We stand up to them,” Starmer declared, noting that this example should show other tech companies how the UK government will act if they don’t keep people safe.
Ending on a more hopeful note, Starmer announced a new AI jobs tool, which will help users “find the right jobs, build their CVs and get back to work”, and also revealed a new strategy to develop sovereign computing capabilities, including a commitment to buy more than £400m worth of specialist AI chips.
“This government has made its choice,” he concluded, “we choose to take control of our future, we choose to be ambitious about what Britain can achieve and we choose to make AI work for our whole country.”
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