Fighting fire with fire? Plan to make UK the world leader in AI.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-opportunities-action-plan-government-response/ai-opportunities-action-plan-government-response#:~:text=Already%2C%20Britain%20is%20the%20third,to%20call%20our%20country%20home.
Plenty here I think.

Very much the right thing to do.

We certainly can't walk away from it, can we.
Yes I share fears about the unknown and want safeguards.

But we have to seize the opportunities too - and make them.

What if the government had stuck its head in the sand and pretended that A1 didnt exist and just let other countries run on ahead? Seems like a "damned if you do, damned if you dont" situation.

M0nica

Mamie India has an eneormous software industry and a highly educated workforce and a determination to dominate world technology and there ae several other developing countries treading on its coat tails.

But there is no point in Starmer spouting all this aspirational tosh, unless he is also prepared to outline how we will achieve it. It does not mean nitty gritty details, but the broad route we will take.

As I have said there is no point talking the talk, if you have not also made plans to walk the walk and that Starmer has not done.

Did you see the whole thing MOnica? I thought the steps he outlined and the evidence of what had been done so far was pretty clear?
The government is clearly in negotiation with leaders in the field. Yes, I am well aware that India has a big tech industry now, but I am not in a position to comment on their AI companies compared with the UK. I do know that DH and his colleagues spent years providing IT consultancy in America. That's quite a big country too.

That’s very interesting Elegran. Nice to have a bit of historical background.

Mamie India has an eneormous software industry and a highly educated workforce and a determination to dominate world technology and there ae several other developing countries treading on its coat tails.

But there is no point in Starmer spouting all this aspirational tosh, unless he is also prepared to outline how we will achieve it. It does not mean nitty gritty details, but the broad route we will take.

As I have said there is no point talking the talk, if you have not also made plans to walk the walk and that Starmer has not done.

M0nica

*Mamie*You have completely misunderstood what I wrote. I was not referring to the subject matter of what Starmer said as tosh, but what he said about Britain being a world leader and all the rest.

I am not scoffing and ignoring AI. I am merely saying that it is easy for Keir Starmer to spout all this aspirational tosh - and I am sure Prime Ministers across Europe are making identical speeches, but anyone can talk the talk, what we want to know is how he is going to walk the walk

I don't think I misunderstood. I agree with Starmer that the UK has the experience and advanced skillset to be a leader in developing AI. I wouldn't say it of France!

J52

AI is being widely used globally., it was a discussion we had at Christmas.
One DS works for a Global IT company, many of his clients are well known companies and organisations. The systems they request all now involve AI.
Other DS works for an international energy company and develops AI within the company.
As a country have to move with the times and in fact get ahead of developments.

My late husband spent all his working life (from the sixties to beyond the millenium) in the development of electronic telemetry systems which collected data from many points in organisations and processed them, then took action automatically on the co-ordinated results and reported the actions to a central display. That was called telemetry not Artificial Intelligence, but it helped pave the way for it.

There are many areas in physical and financial business where AI can make working life quicker, easier, and more efficient, but it does need to be backed up and maintained by people who know what they are doing, and to be monitored by a separate overseeing system which can identify any operators who are using the fact that they have expert knowledge to "adjust" the programming for nefarious purposes.

If we can get a lead in this new technology, then the opportunities are just about infinite. The starting point is education, education, education, at all stages in life.

MamieYou have completely misunderstood what I wrote. I was not referring to the subject matter of what Starmer said as tosh, but what he said about Britain being a world leader and all the rest.

I am not scoffing and ignoring AI. I am merely saying that it is easy for Keir Starmer to spout all this aspirational tosh - and I am sure Prime Ministers across Europe are making identical speeches, but anyone can talk the talk, what we want to know is how he is going to walk the walk

That is true. Changes in employment are inevitable in any agricultural, industrial or technological revolution.

What can possibly go wrong? Be prepared for loads of redundancies as well when many jobs are replaced by AI.

M0nica

It is meaningless tosh. Anyone can make aspirational speeches about what will happen in the future, but unless you then indicate how you intend to reach that nirvana, it is absolutely meaningless.

I am sure every other developed country has such aspirations. We heard similar speeches from various poiticians when in power about the wonders electric cars and battery plants would have in taking the economy forwards - and we can see what is happening there. The cars are made in China and the efforts to build battery plants has been disastrous.

As for our history of developing technology, yes we do - and then sell it off to the highest bidder, usually American and they make the money.

That isn't true MOnica. You seem to be thinking of hard technology, but the soft power of the people working in research, training, systems analysis, architecture and implementation has been a huge market for the UK for decades. (My DH spent his career travelling the world in this field).
Tim Berners Lee had quite a bit of an impact worldwide, don't you think?
I thought Keir Starmer was pretty clear about the work that had already been done. I listened to the whole thing.
The danger will come if people scoff and ignore AI.

Oreo

Whitewavemark2

It is inevitable, so we should try to be at least prepared, if not ahead of the game.

Listening to people yesterday waxing lyrical about its uses - it is clearly not all bad, and one hopes that the areas which could be really problematic will be tackled and mitigated against , as far as possible.

Oh yeah!
What could possibly go wrong?

My daughter is testing a new NHS system that involves AI.
I know that she will do all that is humanly possible to make sure it’s as good as it can possible be.

And yes, M0nica, I think we "sold this one off" too.

My son has a tiny company and uses it.
Doesn't make it good but he says it's useful.

I'm most excited about the medical uses.

Whitewavemark2

*I worked in an environment where we had to have the vision statement backed up by a short, medium and long term plan*

It is so good being retired!

I find stuff like that so depressing.

Yes I love being retired. It was so drummed into me that I even used to carry my own little LifePlan around with me in my Diary😱🙄

Now I find plans quite stressful. Even the short term ones like the dentist this morning.

I need to go and clean my teeth😬

Whitewavemark2

Oreo

Whitewavemark2

It is inevitable, so we should try to be at least prepared, if not ahead of the game.

Listening to people yesterday waxing lyrical about its uses - it is clearly not all bad, and one hopes that the areas which could be really problematic will be tackled and mitigated against , as far as possible.

Oh yeah!
What could possibly go wrong?

You tell me

People losing jobs at a faster rate than it should happen.
Books, music, art and so on being flooded with AI copies.
All sorts of strange and awful things could happen cos you can bet your little boots there won’t be much mitigation.

Read The Tin Men by Michael Frayn, hilarious, written in the mid 1960’s but never more pertinent.

AI is being widely used globally., it was a discussion we had at Christmas.
One DS works for a Global IT company, many of his clients are well known companies and organisations. The systems they request all now involve AI.
Other DS works for an international energy company and develops AI within the company.
As a country have to move with the times and in fact get ahead of developments.

I worked in an environment where we had to have the vision statement backed up by a short, medium and long term plan

It is so good being retired!

I find stuff like that so depressing.

The example KS gave of the woman whose life was saved when AI identified the exact place in her brain the blood clot that caused her stroke was inspirational

I think it’s inevitable and like everything can be used for good or evil. I agree we should press forward.

Did the speech go on to say what we should actually do. I mean was there a plan, an outline of the steps we were going to take?

I worked in an environment where we had to have the vision statement backed up by a short, medium and long term plan.

Whitewavemark2

I’m going to teach myself how to make full use of it.

I have started using it in a limited way, but there is masses of use for it. I am another who finds it exiting.

Oreo

Whitewavemark2

It is inevitable, so we should try to be at least prepared, if not ahead of the game.

Listening to people yesterday waxing lyrical about its uses - it is clearly not all bad, and one hopes that the areas which could be really problematic will be tackled and mitigated against , as far as possible.

Oh yeah!
What could possibly go wrong?

You tell me

Whitewavemark2

Starmer has given some good speeches lately.

Yes he has. He needs to keep on going in the face of criticism not always deserved

I’m going to teach myself how to make full use of it.

Whitewavemark2

It is inevitable, so we should try to be at least prepared, if not ahead of the game.

Listening to people yesterday waxing lyrical about its uses - it is clearly not all bad, and one hopes that the areas which could be really problematic will be tackled and mitigated against , as far as possible.

Oh yeah!
What could possibly go wrong?