- British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opens London Tech Week 2026
- Starmer hails impact of AI and says UK is ‘on the precipice’ of something big
- But also calls on tech giants to do more to protect users
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hailed the potential impact of AI as the technology continues to spread across the country.
Speaking at the opening speech for 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 efforts to keep users safe online, and announced new measures to crack down on children who send and receive explicit messages.
A ‘hopeful’ future for AI in the UK
“When people look to the future, I don’t want them to see something they can endure or fight, but something they can hope in,” the prime minister said.
Starmer explained how the government refuses to bury its head in the sand or remove AI safeguards altogether, but instead takes a third way, “where we support businesses, create jobs and create the economy of the future, but never lose sight of who got us here.”
Starmer highlighted how a former soap factory in Warrington, which is now being transformed into an AI data centre, is a shining example of the transformative potential that technology can bring to the UK.
“There are stories like this all across the country,” the Prime Minister said, “they all speak to the same possibility, they give us a glimpse of an emerging technological revolution – one with the potential to transform lives, strengthen communities and create opportunities across the country.”
“This is a revolution that Britain is uniquely placed 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 tech giants who he said have so far not done enough to crack down on areas such as the sending of nude images.
Specifically, he called on tech companies operating in the UK to introduce controls on devices that would prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images.
“If they choose not to, then we will take action and we will change the law,” he said. “When it comes to the safety of our children, failure is not an option.”
Starmer also stressed that the pace of change in areas such as AI and the wider technology space should not be an excuse to harm vulnerable groups, and said the government would act “swiftly” and “strongly” when technology poses a threat to “our people, our children”.
Starmer recalled the British government’s battle against Grok, X’s AI platform, which was widely criticized for allowing users to create explicit AI images.
“We’ve got them taken care of,” Starmer said, stressing that this example should show other tech companies how, if they fail to keep people safe, the UK government will act.
Ending on a more optimistic note, Starmer announced a new AI workplace tool, which will help users “find the right jobs, build their CV and get back to work”, and also revealed a new strategy to develop sovereign computing capabilities, including a commitment to purchase specialist AI chips worth more than £400m.
“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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