UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a broad push to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across Britain while warning technology companies that they must do more to prevent AI tools from being used to create harmful content involving children.

Speaking at the London Tech Week Forum on Monday, the prime minister said,”  I am calling on tech companies operating in this country to introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images because this is not an impossible challenge. These are some of the most innovative companies in the world and I believe they can solve it. But if they choose not to then we will act and we will change the law.”

This government will not stand by while children are put at risk online.

Today I am calling on the tech companies to introduce device-level controls to prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images.

And if they don’t act, we will.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 8, 2026

“Earlier this year we took action against Grok, which allowed their tools to be used to create disgusting, explicit AI images,” Starmer said, warning that if tech companies will not take the responsibility to keep people safe then the government will have to take action.

He further stressed that the pace of change cannot be an excuse for harm and that technology should adapt to the needs of society, not the other way round. 

The prime minister has also announced a new strategy to develop sovereign computing capability under which 400 million pounds of specialist AI chips will be purchased which will support some of the promising  startups in the country. Simultaneously, the government will scale its test bed for AI compute systems, turning it into a national capability. This will support British startups, backed by the multi – billion pound infrastructure programs. 

“This is what an active industrial strategy looks like in technology, building the foundations of the future, backing the companies creating it and making sure the next generation of success lies right here in Britain,” Starmer expressed. 

He also announced the launch of a new tool called AI tutors which will be rolled out to 4,50,00 children on free school meals to help close the attainment gap and of AI job tools, which will help people in finding right jobs for themselves.

Starmer also informed around 1.7 million workers have already received AI training under his mission to upskill 7 and a half million workers with AI training by 2030, which was launched last year. 

“AI is delivering faster diagnosis in our National Health Service (NHS), reducing court backlogs, speeding up planning decisions. These are the benefits of AI felt by the people of Britain,” Starmer claimed. 

He mentioned that great tech companies need the right conditions to succeed and the freedom to move fast, so it is necessary to simplify regulation and challenge unnecessary barriers to innovation. They need access to the best talent in the world. Starmer further informed that this has led to the creation of a global talent task force with an aim to strengthen the roots that bring more exceptional innovators to Britain.

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