We spoke to science and technology secretary Peter Kyle, as the PM announces new AI plans.
Matt Frei: Peter Kyle, thank you very much for coming on the programme. It’s pretty grim, isn’t it, at the moment. And I just wonder whether with all the grim news Helia just outlined on the economic front, whether the magic of AI is really going to work for us in that way? The way that the prime minister outlined today?
Peter Kyle: Well, the magic only isn’t in the AI. The magic is in how we’re going to harness it and use it for the good of all, including our economy. Today, we’ve announced a plan as part of our Plan of Change and AI Opportunities Action Plan – that will create AI growth zones, investment zones right around the country. We’ve created a new council so we can bring the voice of AI into the energy future, strategic planning of our country. And we’ve also unveiled £14.5 billion worth of investment into our economy that’s coming in today. That’s on the top of – on the back of – £24 billion of investment into AI since we took office six months ago. So when you say magic, there is investment in the tens of billions going into our economy now because of the actions of this government. Now, in terms of how AI will unfold, we are not going to sit on the sidelines. We are going to be an active participant using the power of government to make sure that all communities from around the country benefit from the infrastructure and that all people, all industries, and then government itself, benefits from the power of AI going forward for the public good, for our health and the wealth of our country.
Matt Frei: I don’t know if you heard Gary Gibbon’s question to the prime minister, I think you were there, actually. This is a benefit from Brexit, isn’t it? Because we can basically say goodbye to some of the regulations that Silicon Valley has criticised in the EU. But I wonder if we move too far towards Silicon Valley, we’re going to have trouble with the EU?
Peter Kyle: Well, actually, I mean, the truth is that we have different ways of expressing our national interest outside of the EU than we did inside. We had a different set of tools then – we have a different set of tools now and we are using those tools. Of course we would use everything we possibly can. Now what we are not doing is weakening the safety – the protections we put around our citizens and we put around our country.
Matt Frei: How can we trust you on that? You know, we are dealing with Elon Musk as a massive AI investor. He is hell-bent on toppling this government. Do you trust people like him?
Peter Kyle: Look at the facts. Over the summer, there were arrests made for online activity. The Online Safety Act is still being implemented. I have implemented new powers to tackle deep fakes. I have used new powers to tackle intimate image abuse, what’s called revenge porn. I’ve introduced a statement of strategic intention to Ofcom – to the regulator – to insist that they do more to keep children safe online and vulnerable people online. In the coming months and running up to summer, the platforms and content creators must make sure that all of their content is age appropriate. Otherwise, there will be very tough measures inflicted on them. All of these things we’re doing, none of what we’re doing domestically changes. For what reason? Because I want people to feel safe. I want people to be safe. And once they feel safe, people will be out there safely exploring all the potential of this new technology online and in terms of AI.
Matt Frei: That all sounds great. That all sounds great, but a lot of the investment will come from the United States. And we know from the statements made by Mark Zuckerberg last week and of course, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, they don’t like excessive regulation. They won’t even look at us in terms of investment if we don’t whittle down that regulation – and that is counter to the interests of British citizens, is it not?
Peter Kyle: But Matt, I don’t like excessive regulation. Of course I don’t. No business does. No person going about their lives…
Matt Frei: They think even a little bit is excessive.
Peter Kyle: Well, no, that’s not entirely true, because you heard also Mark Zuckerberg say last week that he needs to do more and will do more to tackle illegal content and take it down and also to keep children safe. So what we need to do is get the balance right. And I think we are in that sweet spot as a country at the moment. And don’t just judge my words. As I said, £14 billion worth of investment from private sector investors into our economy was announced today. I haven’t changed the regulation in order to get that. What I’ve done is make sure that the investors know just what is great about our country. The fact that we have huge potential as a country that is not yet being met by its government and we are actually striving to do so.
Matt Frei: Peter Kyle, you heard Helia Ebrahimi quoting Warren Buffett, ‘when the tide goes out, we get to see who’s swimming naked’. Let’s be honest, we’re swimming at the moment without a stitch of clothing on, aren’t we?
Peter Kyle: No, that’s absolutely not… I’m not going to extend the metaphor because, you know, who knows where it will take us. We are doing really well as a country today.
Matt Frei: No we’re not. Excuse me – growth is stagflation, borrowing costs, I outlined it at the beginning of the show. All the data is looking miserable, is it not? Business has lost confidence. This is not the way it is supposed to go.
Peter Kyle: What we’re all doing is living the history of the Tory party that we inherited. We inherited an incredibly difficult circumstance. Now we are doing something different to the Tories. While they were managing the decline, we have found ways with the budget which Rachel Reeves brought in, to fix the foundations of our country. We have found ways of investing. Our R&D budget as a country, as a government, is up 8.5%, investing in the industries of the future that will create the innovations that will create the jobs and wealth of the future. Today we have announced a plan that is unleashing billions of pounds today into our economy and into the future, into the medium-term, from the short-term and into the long-term. We will capture the power of AI to increase productivity in our public services, in government. But right across our economy we are making it available to businesses large and small that will create new jobs, new wealth, and make life in the workplace far more better and satisfying than it currently is. These are good things and it’s happening now Matt.
Matt Frei: And we shall watch if it actually happens. Just very briefly, your anti-corruption minister, Tulip Siddiq, is under investigation for corruption. Should she resign?
Peter Kyle: What she should have done is what she did do, which is refer herself to the independent commissioner. That independent commission has more powers and more independence because of this government, and we will adhere to any of the outcomes that that commissioner comes to the conclusion of.