Obviously, artificial Intelligence (AI) is a boom industry that will transform many other industries and make fortunes for some people. Anyone should want Britain to be involved and earn itself a slice of the AI pie. Why, then, does the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan depress me?
Apparently, according to Keir Starmer, it is going to turn Britain into an ‘AI superpower’. There are going to be AI growth zones, and the public sector is going to be at the forefront. AI is going to help teachers plan lessons, help councils speed up decisions on planning applications, even help mend potholes – all the biggest public sector failures, in other words, are going to be cured by AI.
Sorry, but I’ve heard it all before.

Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in