The use of data would take a central role in a Labour government's industrial strategy, according to shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds A council would also be set up on a statutory footing to oversee the strategy and ensure it isn't abandoned at a later date. The opposition party said if it were to win the next general election, it would make "harnessing data for the public good" a key mission in its industrial strategy. Reynolds announced Labour's industrial strategy at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. "It's a real industrial strategy – with ambition and the means to achieve it," he said. A key part of this, according to Reynolds, is using data.

Hot on the heels of the UK's National AI Strategy - launched in September last year - comes the AI Standards Hub, a new government initiative, proposed in the Strategy, which aims to shape global standards for the technology. Britain's Alan Turing Institute, the London-based AI and data science organization founded in 2015, will lead the pilot, with support from the British Standards Institution (the BSI) and metrology institute the National Physical Laboratory. Three august and widely respected bodies, backed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the UK's Office for AI, which sits across DCMS and what is still called the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), even though the Prime Minister scrapped the Industrial Strategy last year - arguably the one bit of government that had been working. That aside, the move adds some much-needed substance to Whitehall claims of world leadership in AI and the UK being a "science and technology superpower". It does this by seeking to focus the debate on standards and regulation at global scale.

Throughout history, there have been moments when the progress of technology has taken great steps forward, when a combination of the right tools, a capacity for innovation, and sparks of ingenuity lead to breakthroughs that transform how we live our lives. How we produce and process information is critical to innovation – and our methods of recording and communicating information have themselves undergone great leaps. From the development of writing, to Gutenberg's printing press – which advanced the spread of knowledge to the masses and ushered in the enlightenment and scientific revolution – to the first programmable digital computer Colossus, the cost of reproducing and communicating information, or data, has fallen again and again. At the same time, tools for processing and making sense of large quantities of data have developed exponentially – with artificial intelligence (AI) representing the latest leap. In the same way that Gutenberg's press ushered in a new era of growth, data-driven technologies such as AI will underpin our future prosperity. There is no doubt that machine learning and AI is already improving peoples' lives, from intelligent personal assistants that can prepare us for changes in the weather, to systems that protect our money from criminals, or devices that offer medical advice from the comfort of our own home. And this is only the start; the potential of AI is undeniable. Our next challenge will be to harness this technology to transform how we diagnose diseases, manufacture goods and build our homes. Using advanced algorithmic techniques such as'deep learning', AI has the potential to solve complex problems fast, and in so doing, free up time and raise productivity. But we also need to make sure AI benefits everyone in the UK, which is why – in addition to this Sector Deal – the government is establishing a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to advise on the ethical use of data, including for AI. The huge global opportunity AI presents is why the Industrial Strategy white paper identified AI and data as 1 of 4 Grand Challenges – in which the UK can lead the world for years to come.

The AI for Services network brings together Data and Artificial Intelligence businesses and academics with professionals working in the high value service sectors of legal, accountancy insurance and finance. This initiative is part of the Industrial Strategy Next Generation Services Challenge fund programme. Contact Astrid Ayel if you would like more information on the network or to discuss collaboration opportunities; you can also get in touch with her via LinkedIn or Twitter. About us: What is the AI for Services Network? Find out more information about the Industrial Strategy Next Generation Services Challenge fund here.

As the seat of the first Industrial Revolution, the UK has a long history of designing regulatory solutions to the challenges posed by technological change. However, regulation has often lagged behind - sometimes very far behind - new technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving no exception to this historical trend. In the first place, there is currently no consensus on whether the development of AI requires its own dedicated regulator or specific statutory regime. Gathering evidence for its May 2018 report "AI in the UK", the Select Committee on AI of the House of Lords found that opinions were divided into three camps: "those who considered existing laws could do the job; those who thought that action was needed immediately; and those who proposed a more cautious and staged approach to regulation"[1]. The first of these categories - where it was argued that existing laws were sufficient - included strong interest groups such as TechUK (a major trade association) and the Law Society of England and Wales.

Only 39% of people are interested in a career in AI with 59% of those aged under 45, according to research by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Kantar Public. The report, which was released for London Tech Week this week, also found a gender divide over interest in AI jobs. Just 31% of women said they'd be interested compared to 47% of men. More than 60% of people were excited to see what AI can do, however, and awareness levels of AI in everyday life were found to be more than 60%. But there appeared to be low awareness around the impact of AI on work.

Thousands of graduates to become qualified experts in artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a new joint government-industry package to drive up skills in the AI sector, Business Secretary Greg Clark and Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright announced today (21 February 2019). For the first time, the UK will have a nationwide programme of industry-funded AI Masters courses coupled with work-based placements. The new skills and talent package is a major milestone of the modern Industrial Strategy's AI Sector Deal which was launched in April 2018. The announcement comes as new figures prepared for Tech Nation by Dealroom.co The UK has long been a nation of innovators.

The Latest: On Tuesday November 6, Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, announced that the national funding agency UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will invest GBP50mn (USD64mn) in five new AI centres under Wave 2 of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund as part of the Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine initiative. Each centre will receive GBP10mn (USD12.8mn) in public funding augmented by investment from commercial partners, including Canon, GE Healthcare, Philips, Roche Diagnostics and Siemens. The investment marks a significant step in delivering on a major commitment in the Life Sciences Sector Deal agreed in December 2017, following publication of Sir John Bell's Life Sciences Industrial Strategy in August 2017. Implications: The AI centres will partner doctors and academics with leading medical device companies and innovative start-ups to develop new AI-based applications to improve early diagnosis of diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. As well as enhancing patient treatment, the initiative aims to achieve cost reductions for the NHS and free up resources for direct patient care.

The UK's Artificial Intelligence revolution gets new backing, as the Business Secretary announces five new centres of excellence for digital pathology and imaging, including radiology, using AI medical advances. New centres announced today will bring together doctors, businesses and academics to develop products using these advances in digital technology to improve early diagnosis of disease, including cancer by detecting abnormalities. The products developed at the new centres will offer more personalised treatment for patients while freeing up doctors to spend more time caring for patients. The investment in large-scale genomics and image analysis will drive new understanding of how complex diseases develop, in a proactive step to ensure people get the right treatment at the right time. AI has the potential to revolutionise healthcare and improve lives for the better.

New centres announced today will bring together doctors, businesses and academics to develop products using these advances in digital technology to improve early diagnosis of disease, including cancer by detecting abnormalities. The products developed at the new centres will offer more personalised treatment for patients while freeing up doctors to spend more time caring for patients. The investment in large-scale genomics and image analysis will drive new understanding of how complex diseases develop, in a proactive step to ensure people get the right treatment at the right time. AI has the potential to revolutionise healthcare and improve lives for the better. That's why our modern Industrial Strategy puts pioneering technologies at the heart of our plans to build a Britain fit for the future.