AI race must be led by 'western, liberal, democratic' countries, says UK minister

The artificial intelligence race must be led by "western, liberal, democratic" countries, said the UK technology secretary in a veiled warning over China's role in the contest, before a global AI summit in Paris. Peter Kyle spoke as political leaders and tech company bosses gather in France, and after the emergence of a new Chinese force in AI, DeepSeek, rattled US investors and upended assumptions about Silicon Valley's leadership in the technology. The tech minister told the Guardian he would use the summit to explain why Britain should be at the forefront of developing AI. As well as allowing global leaders and companies to "come together and learn from each other", the summit would give the UK a chance to show why it had the "skills and the scientific pedigree" that were "going to be essential if western, liberal, democratic countries are to remain at the forefront of this critical technology", he said. Kyle added that AI would have an impact on every part of the economy and society, including national security and defence.