Britain’s tech industry should adopt a pragmatic approach to sovereign AI that actively backs the country’s AI businesses, according to the head of the UK’s AI trade body.

Speaking after a parliamentary roundtable at the House of Lords, Tim Flagg, chief executive of UKAI (pictured), said the UK’s competitive advantage lies in pairing strong domestic capability with openness: ensuring UK firms are not locked out of their own market, while remaining deeply integrated into global AI supply chains.

He is calling for clearer routes to scale, win contracts and compete internationally, while retaining control over critical capabilities and continuing to work with global technology partners.