UK tech secretary Liz Kendall backs driverless cars and British AI startups
UK tech secretary Liz Kendall has backed driverless cars and British AI startups, just as the **likely next PM Andy Burnham’s team sours on the rollout.
In a Sifted podcast:
- Kendall expressed support for driverless cars, stating, "We should be backing British companies in this technology… because if we don’t, we’ll end up reliant on US companies."
- She highlighted the British contender, Wayve, as a "brilliant British success story"* that will begin piloting driverless taxis in London with Uber later this year.
Context and Timeline:
- London’s streets are set to host a robotaxi race, with Alphabet’s Waymo and China’s Baidu among those eyeing launches.
- Andy Burnham, favored to be the next UK prime minister, reportedly plans to revamp the AI strategy, raising concerns about job losses for taxi and Uber drivers.
Kendall’s Vision and Future:
- She believes Burnham shares her vision for AI and emphasized that the government would support workers through industry transitions.
- When asked about her own future, Kendall stated, "I absolutely love doing this job," but noted the decision rests with the next prime minister.
Sovereignty and Control:
- Kendall argued that Britain is "genuinely third in the world"* on AI, behind the US and China, and emphasized her efforts to safeguard this position.
- She referenced initiatives like the £500m Sovereign AI unit, a £1.1bn AI-hardware plan, and a £2bn quantum bet.
- Kendall sees urgency in addressing the recent US restrictions on Anthropic’s models as a "wake-up moment"* that calls for greater sovereign control.
Impact and Conclusion:
- She addressed public fears about technology displacing jobs, stating, "The choice is between seizing [AI] and shaping it to work for us, or being left at its mercy."
- For now, whether Kendall gets to shape the future of AI in Britain remains uncertain.