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Speaking at RUSI, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has set out the case for moving quickly to secure the UK’s position as AI reshapes global power dynamics, warning that countries which fail to master the defining technologies of their age risk losing control over their future.
At the heart of the argument is the growing concentration of AI capability. With the majority of global AI computing power now controlled by a small number of companies, Kendall said that decisions about where AI systems are built, who owns them and how they are governed have become critical to economic, energy and defence security.
The UK, she argued, is well placed to respond, given its sizeable tech sector, leading research institutions and international standing in AI safety through bodies such as the AI Security Institute.
Rather than pursuing self‑sufficiency, the government is positioning “AI sovereignty” as a way to reduce over‑reliance and increase resilience in areas that matter most. This includes a more focused effort to back British companies in parts of the AI stack where the UK has genuine strengths, alongside closer cooperation with allies, particularly other mid‑sized powers, on standards and deployment.
Kendall announced the development of a UK AI hardware plan aimed at securing national capability in semiconductors and the technologies that underpin AI systems. The move reflects the view that leadership in AI cannot be separated from leadership in chips, computing infrastructure and the skills needed to design and manufacture them.
Kendall also pushed back against calls to slow or pause AI development, arguing that retreating from progress would amount to a withdrawal from global influence. In her view, the real choice facing Britain is whether it shapes its own AI future or leaves itself exposed to decisions made elsewhere.
In response, industry voices have broadly welcomed the direction of travel.
“The development of a UK AI hardware plan is welcomed and is clear recognition that leadership in AI cannot happen without semiconductors and associated technologies,” one comment noted. “This is a strong and timely initiative, and it should be the foundation for sustained attention and investment into the world‑class work already happening across the UK’s semiconductor and hardware ecosystem.”
The UK has certainly established strengths in areas such as chip design, photonics, compound semiconductors and advanced materials, but the challenge now will be turning that innovation into scale, economic value and lasting strategic leverage in an increasingly competitive global AI landscape.
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