The Government's new digital strategy has outlined key changes it wants to make in 2017, including a heavy focus on AI, data and to create new markets for the UK's creative industries. In a speech today (1 March), culture secretary Karen Bradley says the digital sector needs to be taken seriously as it is now worth 7% of the the economy and grew nearly three times faster than comparable sectors in 2015. "But that does not mean that we can stand still. And just keeping up should not be the limit of our ambitions. The UK must lead the world. Meanwhile, none of our citizens should be left behind," Bradley explains.

After a year of delays, the UK government has finally shared its plans for a more prosperous digital Britain. Unveiled by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Digital Strategy report outlines steps to plug skills gaps and deliver free training to people who need it, pushing forward important UK technology sectors like AI and allowing UK companies to remain competitive as they come to terms with life after Brexit. One thing the report makes clear is that the government can't do it alone. It's enlisting the help of some of the UK's biggest employers and companies, which will offer four million free digital skills training "opportunities" to people who need them. Many are existing initiatives or have been expanded, but Google will offer five hours of free digital skills as part of its Garage initiative (unveiled late last year) and launch a summer programme in coastal towns, BT's Barefoot Computing Project will give teachers free extra computer science resources and O2 will continue to deliver online safety tips via its partnership with the NSPCC.