- UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opens London Tech Week 2026
- Starmer hails impact of AI, says UK is “on the precipice” of something great
- But also calls on tech giants to do more to protect users
UK 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 keynote of 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 technology giants to up their efforts on keeping users safe and secure 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 battle, but something they can be hopeful about,” the Prime Minister said.
Starmer outlined how the government refuses to stick its head in the sand or remove AI guardrails completely, but instead taking a third route, “where we back the companies, create the 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 turned into an AI data center, as a shining example of the transformational potential the technology can bring to the UK.
“There are stories like this all over the country,” the Prime Minister said, “they all speak to the same possibility, they give us a glimpse at an emerging revolution in technology – a revolution with the potential to transform lives, to strengthen communities, and create opportunities right across the country.”
“This is a revolution that Britain is uniquely placed to lead,” he added, noting how half of all European tech investment this year has been in the UK, “Britain has every reason to be confident, we’re on the precipice of something truly extraordinary.”
However Starmer also had tough words for technology giants who he says have so far not done enough to crack down on areas such as sending nude images.
Specifically, he called on tech companies operating in the UK to introduce device controls which would prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images.
“If they choose not to, then we will act, and we will change the law,” he said, “when it comes to the safety of our children, failure is not an option.”
Starmer also noted how the pace of change in areas such as AI and the broader technology space should not be an excuse for harm against vulnerable groups, and said that the government will act “quickly” and “firmly” when tech poses a threat to “our people, to our children”.
Starmer harked back to the UK government’s battle with Grok, the AI platform from X, which was widely criticized for allowing users to create explicit AI images.
“We took them on,” Starmer declared, noting that this example should show other tech companies how, if they fail to keep people safe, the UK government will act.
Finishing on a more hopeful note, Starmer announced a new AI job tool, which will help users, “find the right jobs, create their CVs and get back into work”, and also revealed a new strategy to develop sovereign computing capabilities, including a commitment to purchasing specialist AI chips worth over £400 million.
“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 the whole of our country.”
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