An AI system with bias baked in doesn’t work. Diverse teams build better AI systems.

As Blair put it: “what matters is what works”.

Nurses are Britain’s most trusted profession. That trust has to extend into how AI is used in the NHS. But even with high public trust, concerns exist in minority communities — AI that widens equity gaps isn’t good AI.

We shouldn’t let incomplete digital transformation stop us innovating. We landed on the moon without solving poverty first. You don’t need to finish the old before starting the new.

AI’s productivity opportunity is real, but productivity isn’t just automation, it’s meaningful work. Automate the tasks people find undesirable, not just the time-consuming ones. Only way to know which is which is to ask them.

NHS England announced this week that digital, data and technology staff will need professional registration. So it was good to speak on a panel about the NHS AI workforce on Wednesday.

Very solid debut performance.

Onana, Barkley and McGinn feels more solid…

very good points made.

With the idea of tiered membership being discussed relating to Ukraine (and others) - might there be an easy third way option for Britain - one that didn't exist in 2016...?

With the idea of tiered membership being discussed relating to Ukraine (and others) - might there be an easy third way option for Britain - one that didn't exist in 2016...?

Digital being one of the first three subjects is a real signal of intent. A generation of young people who genuinely understand both the theory and the practice of working in tech is exactly what the sector needs.

Not a rhetorical “third way” of triangulation for its own sake, but a practical one: raising professional standards so innovation and protection advance together rather than being seen as in competition.

But the choice isn’t simply between laissez-faire and prohibition. There is a third way here, one that recognises both the enormous benefits of digital connection and the absolute necessity of meaningful guardrails.

'A third way approach is needed to protect children online' - LabourList Protecting children online is not just about bans but building something better. And that has to start with the people behind the systems.

I am in @labourlist.bsky.social today talking about online safety.

Yesterday, MPs debated the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill including whether under-16s should be banned from social media.

labourlist.org/2026/03/a-th...

Fractile pledges £100m UK expansion amid AI chip push UK chip start-up Fractile has announced a £100m expansion of its British operations as the government doubles down on sovereign tech.

Good news.

www.cityam.com/fractile-ple...

Keir in.

Keir in.

Professionalism must be the foundation for trust and adoption of new technology With public services at the forefront of the deployment of AI, Dan Howl of BCS explains why ‘trust must not only be done, it must be seen to be done’ A noticeable shift is taking place across t...

I've written in Public Technology today about a notable shift to higher standards in tech.

www.publictechnology.net/2026/02/05/e...

Polish Courage in the Digital Age Poland continues to press ahead with a 3% Digital Services Tax (DST), despite pressure from Washington D.C. A public consultation launched this week signals a sense of urgency.

Poland is standing up to both Russia and the US.

Necessity is forcing it to make decisions that other European countries haven't faced up to yet.

open.substack.com/pub/danhowl/...

AI Opportunities Action Plan - 2026 Progress Progress on ramping up AI adoption across the UK to boost economic growth, provide jobs for the future and improve people's everyday lives

delivery.ai.gov.uk

The ambition is now to make Britain the “best adopter” of AI in the G7. People need to trust AI first, that’s the baseline. Once they do, they'll expect more: smarter, faster, better services, which will in turn generate adoption.

She also noted that Britain’s AI sector is growing at 25x the rate of the rest of the economy. In the US, AI investment (mostly in software) already contributes noticeably to GDP growth, so the UK has room to scale, but must avoid hype and build adoption sustainably.

Listening to Liz Kendall at Bloomberg yesterday, it was also very clear that she thinks being third to China and the US isn't something to settle for.

A new dashboard released today by 10 Downing Street and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology shows the progress made on AI in the last year. It's interesting and interactive (link below).

The Politics Behind Britain’s New AI Push How geopolitics, state power and workers shape the UK’s AI strategy

Britain is parking its AI tanks on the White House Lawn.

Some thoughts after listening to Liz Kendall yesterday.

open.substack.com/pub/danhowl/...

🚩

Brazil’s Bolsonaro finds novel way to reduce 27-year sentence: reading books Former president convicted for coup plot to take advantage of law that knocks four days off jail term for each book read

Given his 27 year sentence, Bolsonaro just needs to read 2,464 books and then he can go home.

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Given his 27 year sentence, Bolsonaro just needs to read 2,464 books to walk free.

'Trust, not speed, will decide whether Britain’s AI ambitions succeed' - LabourList Without clear accountability and trusted assurance, AI innovation risks losing public confidence before it can deliver lasting value.

Professionalising AI is how we turn promise into impact, and how we drive standards so that AI abuse can’t happen.

I’m in LabourList today talking about how we do that.

labourlist.org/2026/01/trus...

#AI #Tech #Grok

'Trust, not speed, will decide whether Britain’s AI ambitions succeed' - LabourList Without clear accountability and trusted assurance, AI innovation risks losing public confidence before it can deliver lasting value.

labourlist.org/2026/01/trus...