Sam Borni

The IT world has convinced us no new software can be deployed outside of US clouds. We're so sure about this that European governments (including the UK) are handing over vital government functions & data to US controlled servers. In this piece I argue that until recently we somehow could run stuff on locally owned hardware, and that we should urgently relearn that skill, while it is still possible - or end up as digital colony of the US: https://lnkd.in/e45yAc-t

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We’ve announced a major investment injection in the UK – our largest ever in the country, and the next stage of our four decades of operations there.   We’re committing $30 billion to building out the UK’s cloud and AI infrastructure, including the country’s largest supercomputer. It will also support UK operations which span research, AI model development, product and game creation, datacenter operations, and customer support.    As Satya Nadella says, the UK – as the birthplace of the industrial revolution - has long been a country of innovation. We are proud to be a part of the UK’s next innovation era. https://lnkd.in/e2UVuX7R

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The UK Ministry of Defence just published their first Responsible AI Senior Officers' Report, and the findings mirror what we're seeing across every sector: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲. The MOD appointed Responsible AI Senior Officers (RAISOs) across 12 organisations. But the report makes clear these senior roles are just the start. Each RAISO needs dedicated support teams, local points of contact, and multidisciplinary expertise to function effectively. Their experience maps directly onto the four essential tracks for AI governance: ➜ Building organisational foundations: RAISOs are establishing governance structures, building AI inventories, and creating networks. The ad hoc approach worked initially, but now they need dedicated teams. ➜ Navigating laws and standards: JSP 936, their AI policy directive, has provided the impetus for internal policy updates across organisations. Good policy creates clarity that accelerates responsible adoption. ➜ Creating guardrails: They've embedded an AI ethics risk assessment toolkit into existing frameworks while facing what they describe as "the tri-fold task of recruiting external AI experts, training existing personnel to a high level, and upskilling the rest of the workforce." ➜ Operating with human oversight: They're building monitoring dashboards and launching Digital Skills for Defence, recognising that meaningful human control requires specific capabilities, training, and infrastructure. The report's conclusion on workforce is clear: "While there is a growing cadre of AI professionals in some areas, the most significant challenge identified across all RAISO statements is increasing the availability of suitably qualified and experienced personnel to support Defence's commitment to Responsible AI Adoption." What are the challenges and opportunities across these four tracks in your organisation? Download the skills map to see where your experience fits and plot your course to becoming an AI Governance Pro: 📥  https://lnkd.in/gHYeM4bM

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The UK Government’s just announced a new partnership with OpenAI. https://lnkd.in/efyPP8Cc It follows similar moves with Google Cloud and Anthropic — part of Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s push to make sure the UK stays right in the mix when it comes to AI. Access to the latest tech, shaping the conversation, opening doors for AI to help transform public services. All good stuff. But let’s not kid ourselves: access isn’t agency. Partnership isn’t sovereignty. The UK’s got serious AI credentials. The foundations of today’s large language models were built here, on the back of world-class British research. We still have some of the best minds in the world in our universities and labs. But having great research isn’t enough if we don’t turn it into capability — into companies, into products, into outcomes that drive growth and resilience. If we want the next trillion-pound company to be born here — and why shouldn’t it be? — we need to back our own. That means sovereign infrastructure, mission-driven innovation, and making sure SMEs have the environment to scale. At Connected Places Catapult, that’s exactly what we’re here to do: unlock the value of data, AI, and digital infrastructure to build stronger, more resilient places and economies. And this isn’t just about chasing the next big model. It’s about how AI helps us hit the big goals: net zero, better health, more resilient infrastructure, more connected places. If the UK gets this right, we’re not just in the AI race — we’re setting the pace for how this technology delivers real outcomes, on our terms, for the public good. So yes, well done DSIT. But now it’s over to UK researchers, SMEs and innovators. Let’s get building .. faster. Mark Enzer Digital Twin Hub Connected Places Catapult Dr Alison Vincent, CBE FREng Erika Lewis Department for Science, Innovation and Technology #AI #Innovation #UKTech #DigitalInfrastructure #Resilience #Sovereignty #DSIT #Catapults #AIForGood #MissionDrivenInnovation #SME

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