AI Maker or AI Faker? The UK’s Big AI Promise and What It’s Still Missing
The UK wants to lead the AI revolution—but what’s a revolution without the right tools, rules, and people?
Welcome to another edition of the best damn newsletter in human-centric innovation.
Here’s what we’re diving into today:
→ Why “AI Maker, Not Taker” is a big statement—and where it falls flat
→ Five things the UK must do to actually pull this off
→ Why building an inclusive digital future means rethinking more than just tech
Let’s get into it. 👇
The AI Mic Drop at London Tech Week
Sir Keir Starmer stood side-by-side with NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang this week and declared the UK would be an “AI maker, not an AI taker.” The statement was bold. The photo-op? Slick. The funding? Promising.
The PM announced £187M for AI education in schools and a massive training initiative, aiming to equip 7.5 million workers with AI skills by 2030—with backing from Google, Microsoft, BT and friends. Not bad.
But before we pop the champagne, let’s not confuse ambition with readiness.
Because here's the real talk:
Being an AI superpower isn’t just about slinging buzzwords and shaking hands with tech billionaires. It’s about building a digital society where everyone can participate—and right now, we’re not even close.
Five Things the UK Actually Needs to Do to Become an AI Maker
1. Leaders Need More Than Tech Promises—They Need Training, Insight, and Governance
You can’t lead a digital transformation if you don’t understand the terrain. Right now, many public leaders are flying blind. They’re not equipped with the tools or frameworks to make informed decisions about AI, let alone lead teams through the change.
What’s needed:
Digital leadership training for policymakers and public sector execs
Cross-sector governance frameworks (because private AI ethics ≠ public good)
Accessible insight dashboards to steer long-term planning
2. The General Population Needs a Massive Upskill—Fast
AI literacy isn’t just for coders or CEOs. It’s for nurses, retail workers, single parents, and jobseekers.
Training 7.5 million people sounds great—but it needs to be inclusive, contextual, and actually usable. We can’t leave behind those who don’t already have a leg up in the digital world.
Think:
Community-led AI learning hubs
Funding for grassroots digital inclusion initiatives
Practical, hands-on learning—not just online modules
3. Update the Education System for the World We Actually Live In
Teaching Python in Year 9 won’t cut it if we’re still preparing kids for 20th-century jobs. We need a total rethink of what "preparing for the future" actually looks like.
Future-proofing education should include:
Critical AI thinking, not just AI tools
Ethics, creativity, and systems thinking
Flexible paths to digital careers—not just STEM pipelines
4. Progress Isn’t Progress If It Leaves People Behind
A “world-leading AI nation” that cuts support for the most vulnerable isn’t progress—it’s performative tech optimism.
The UK government’s recent cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) fly in the face of the inclusive digital society they claim to be building. A truly inclusive AI future accommodates varying levels of participation and need.
We need to treat digital access as a right—not a privilege.
5. Build a Digital Workforce That’s Actually Inclusive
Not everyone will become a software engineer—and that’s OK. A thriving digital workforce must include roles for creative thinkers, community builders, carers, facilitators, and more.
Tech shouldn’t demand conformity—it should celebrate diversity. Right now, digital inequality is growing because we’re building systems for those already at the front of the race.
Let’s widen the road. Remove the tollgates. Make sure the future is one everyone can walk into.
The Bottom Line
Starmer’s vision isn’t wrong per-say—it is unfinished. Yes, the UK could be an AI maker. But only if we build the infrastructure, literacy, and social scaffolding to support that claim.
The future isn’t just about AI capability. It’s about AI capacity—our collective ability to build a society that’s ready, willing, and able to embrace the change.
So, What’s Next?
If we want a digital revolution worth having, we need to stop treating inclusion as a nice-to-have.
Because tech that works for some is innovation. Tech that works for all? That’s transformation.
Want to actually lead in the age of AI? Join the movement that’s redefining digital leadership, literacy, and inclusion.
Check out AI Uncovered at the Netropolitan Academy and future-proof your purpose—while helping shape a better one for everyone else.
Till next time, Keep building a future worth participating in.