Members of the UK’s first AI Opportunity Forum have been appointed by the government.
Pioneering AI companies will join forces with business leaders to encourage adoption of artificial intelligence across the private sector to boost productivity, fuel innovation and deliver growth in all areas of the economy.
Revealed in the wake of the global AI Safety Summit, held at Bletchley Park late last year, the Forum will be overseen by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s special adviser on business and investment Franck Petitgas.
It includes representatives from Microsoft, Google, Quantexa, KPMG, Arm, Barclays, Vodafone, Universal Music Group and GSK.
It will particularly focus on the AI culture and skills of organisations in the UK, how they manage governance, awareness, and risks of the technology, and the availability of data which they can tap into.
“We want to see organisations across the UK tapping into the transformative power of AI to boost their productivity, unlock new opportunities, and drive growth,” said Donelan.
“The AI Opportunity Forum brings together our brightest minds from the worlds of AI and business to drive forward that effort.
“AI develops at an incredible pace, and we’re acting in lockstep to ensure businesses and employees in every sector of our economy can take advantage of this generation-defining technology.”
CEO of Microsoft UK, Clare Barclay, said: “Speed of AI adoption, backed by robust industry skilling programmes, will determine just how successfully the UK embraces this generational shift in how we live and work.
“The AI Opportunity Forum will help accelerate the private sector transformation we need to compete and lead in the global economy.”
Managing director of Google UK, Debbie Weinstein, added: “We’re looking forward to working alongside the government to ensure that British businesses are well equipped to harness the benefits of AI.
“Google’s UK Economic Impact Report highlighted the scale of this opportunity, with forecasts showing that AI-powered innovation could create over £400 billion in economic value for the UK economy by 2030.
“Initiatives like the Government’s AI Opportunity Forum are key for unlocking the transformative potential of a technology which has the potential to boost productivity, fuel creativity and drive tech-led growth across a variety of sectors up and down the country.”
The Forum will now gather for its first meeting in February, with further meetings taking place bi-monthly. Its members are listed below.
• Clare Barclay, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft UK
• Debbie Weinstein, Managing Director of Google UK and Ireland
• Vishal Marria, CEO of Quantexa
• Rene Haas, Chief Executive Officer of Arm
• Bina Mehta, Chair of KPMG UK
• Jennie Daly, Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey
• Ken Murphy, Group Chief Executive Officer of Tesco
• S. Venkatakrishnan, Group Chief Executive of Barclays
• Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy
• Margherita Della Valle, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone
• Emma Walmsley, CEO of GSK
• Lucian Grainge CBE, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Group
• Steve Hare, Chief Executive Officer of Sage
• Jack Hidary, Chief Executive Officer of SandboxAQ
• Edward Braham, Chair of M&G
• Simon Patterson, Managing Director of Silver Lake
• Laura Cameron, Managing Partner of Pinsent Masons