UK Seeks To Become A Leader In AI, Collaborating With Indian Startups: Harjinder Kang, Trade Commissioner

The United Kingdom is aiming to capitalize on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its economy, while many other businesses are also exploring this technology. The objective is to establish the UK as the top choice for tech firms and skilled professionals. Additionally, the country is seeking to attract startups from around the globe that are developing AI, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies, with the aim of becoming the “Unicorn Kingdom.”

On the sidelines of London Tech Week 2023, Harjinder Kang, UK Trade Commissioner for South Asia and UK Assistant High Commissioner for the West Indies, said in an interview with Debashis Sarkar, Technology Editor, ReturnByte: “The UK is now focusing on a shift in focus when it comes to development and regulation around AI. Prime Minister Sunak is very clear here that he wants the UK to be central AI.”

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Having said that, Kang also emphasized that it’s not just about UK AI. “Great Britain is also at the forefront of other technologies, as well as green technology and renewable energy. The UK was even a key player in using technology to help the world during the pandemic,” Kang said.

“I believe these two countries – India and UK can work together to solve some of the world’s problems. As the new trade commissioner for South Asia, I would help many companies I can to achieve this goal, Kang added.

As well as focusing on attracting top talent to the UK to pursue its own tech ambitions, the UK also wants to become a hub for regulation, particularly around artificial intelligence. “Artificial intelligence has the power to do amazing things, but it also has the ability to cause unintended consequences. It is always in the interest of the whole world to somehow ensure that these new technologies are used correctly. With artificial intelligence, we need to ensure that there is no room for abuse. We want to develop artificial intelligence quickly, but do it responsibly,” stressed Kang.

In his keynote speech at London Tech Week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explained why the UK is one of the best places in the world to start a tech company. He claimed that the UK has created 134 tech unicorns in the past decade – more than France and Germany combined.

He also said the UK is “the most digitally literate society in the world, with 97% of the population using the internet and one of the highest daily internet minutes per person”.

When it comes to financial support, the Prime Minister claimed that the UK has the lowest corporation tax of the G7. “Great Britain’s corporate tax rate of 25 percent is the lowest of the G7 countries and the fourth lowest of the G20 countries. This is designed to facilitate business investment and help them thrive,” he added.

“We have one of the most generous capital raising systems in the OECD. We have introduced full spending on eligible business investment in the masterplan and machinery over three years – £27bn of tax cuts,” Prime Minister Sunak said.

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The UK is also said to be investing £5 billion in R&D, reaching £20 billion a year by 2024/25. “We’re changing the way we do things – with a new Advanced Research and Invention Agency focused on high-risk, high-reward research,” he added.