UK Growth Minister Dan Tomlinson said Britain will not slow the pace of its artificial intelligence (AI) investment despite pushback against AI in the United States. He also said the current pace of investment is "too low for what we need to stay at the forefront as AI technology develops." The remarks contrast with FT reporting the same day on rising US voter hostility toward Big Tech and a widening split in AI attitudes between East and West.
UK official: investment pace 'too low'
According to FT Technology, UK Growth Minister Dan Tomlinson made clear that Britain will not slow investment because of the US backlash against AI. He stressed that the current pace is not enough to keep the UK at the forefront as AI technology develops.
Dan Tomlinson said the pace of investment is "too low for what we need to stay at the forefront as AI technology develops."
The remarks show the UK government is taking an aggressive stance on AI development, in contrast with pushback in parts of the US.
US: voter hostility shaped midterms
A separate FT report noted that US voter hostility toward Big Tech helped shape the midterm results, and similar fears are spreading through the West. The report said that hostility could influence the direction of US AI policy.
FT reported: "Voter hostility to Big Tech helped shape the US midterms, and similar fears are spreading through the west."
The report also observed that, in sharp contrast with the West, attitudes toward AI in the East are "dramatically more optimistic."
A widening East-West split
Taken together, the two threads point to a split in global AI policy and investment: UK officials stress they will not slow investment, the US faces voter pushback against Big Tech, and Eastern countries show a more optimistic attitude. That split could shape the future of global AI technology development and investment.
The UK government has not yet published a specific AI investment plan or timetable, and the direction of US policy after the midterms remains to be seen.