Saqib Bhatti MP
Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Technological advancement is accelerating, blending our digital and physical worlds and offering unparalleled opportunities for economic growth. Are we ready to harness this potential to its fullest?
The Prime Minister’s creation of a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology underscores our commitment to seizing this opportunity. However, without British businesses embracing technology, we will not realise its full potential.
Busting analogue attitudes by adopting modern tech
If your business has yet to adopt digital transformation, it’s now time to reconsider your analogue attitude. Letting go of outdated methods and adopting new practices will be essential for your business to compete and thrive.
As a business owner myself, I understand the challenge of adopting new technology amid day-to-day pressures. Yet, embracing digital tools today paves the way for harnessing AI and future advancements. That’s why the Government is making the transition as easy as possible for businesses.
For businesses and consumers alike, trust remains a critical factor in embracing technology.
Investing in and fostering trust in tech
That’s not all. We’re unlocking billions of pounds of investment for high-growth companies through the Chancellor’s Mansion House Reforms. Our Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will grow the UK’s thriving tech sector, so it can provide our whole economy with the cutting-edge solutions it needs to innovate.
Whopping investments in the UK data centres by tech giants like Google and Microsoft, together exceeding £3 billion, represent a huge vote of confidence in our nation’s future and will help ensure businesses have access to the digital infrastructure essential for this growth.
However, for businesses and consumers alike, trust remains a critical factor in embracing technology. All too often, the internet is perceived as a ‘Wild West’ of scams and deceiving ads. That is why our Online Safety Act steps ahead of the rest of the world, holding the largest social media and search companies accountable for tackling fraudulent adverts and empowering regulators to impose significant fines if these duties are not met.
Guiding AI regulation
Just as we’ve been world leaders in tackling online harms, we are determined to lead the way in AI. We’re taking an agile, context-based approach to regulation, by gripping the risks while supporting innovation, ensuring businesses and consumers have the confidence to use this technology safely.
Equipped with the technology they can trust, secured by regulators committed to helping innovation and backed by a home-grown tech sector offering some of the best solutions in the world, British businesses are set with everything they need to seize what technology has to offer. The rest is down to them.