The discussion will examine what “sovereignty” means in an AI context, from ensuring trusted access to national datasets and building secure compute infrastructure, to embedding ethical and privacy safeguards across the entire AI value chain. Participants will also consider how to make the UK a global benchmark for responsible sovereignty, balancing open innovation with national resilience and democratic accountability.

  • Hear the latest thinking from key stakeholders on sovereign AI and infrastructure investment.

  • Contribute directly to UKAI’s recommendations on privacy, safety and responsible innovation.

  • Connect with leaders across academia, industry, finance and regulation to identify shared solutions to secure compute, trusted data access and ethical assurance.

  • Help position the UK as a global model for responsible AI sovereignty, combining innovation, trust and strategic independence.

🇬🇧 Roundtable: Building a Responsible and Sovereign AI Stack for the UK

1. Defining the UK’s Sovereign AI Stack

  • What does a “sovereign AI stack” mean in practice — data, compute, models, and governance?

  • How can the UK ensure end-to-end capability and resilience across the AI value chain?

  • Should the UK aim to build its own full stack, or focus on leadership in selected strategic layers (e.g. secure data infrastructure, trustworthy models)?

2. Privacy, Security, and Safety by Design

  • How can privacy and safety be embedded into every layer of the UK AI stack — from chip design to model deployment?

  • What governance structures are needed to protect citizens’ data while enabling innovation?

  • How can sovereign AI contribute to national security and cyber-resilience?

  • What lessons can be learned from secure-by-design frameworks in other sectors (e.g. defence, finance, health)?
     

3. Data Sovereignty and Public Trust

  • What datasets should be considered national assets within a sovereign AI strategy (e.g. health, environment, infrastructure)?

  • How do we ensure these datasets are accessible for innovation but protected from misuse or foreign dependency?

  • Should the UK establish a National Data Trust to govern access and uphold privacy standards?

  • How can transparency and citizen consent be maintained to strengthen public trust?
     

4. Compute and Infrastructure Resilience

  • How can the UK develop a secure, low-carbon compute infrastructure that underpins sovereign AI development?

  • What role should the public sector, universities and private investors play in funding sovereign compute?

  • How can we align AI infrastructure strategy with the UK’s energy and climate goals?

  • Should the UK consider “AI Infrastructure Zones” linked to renewable or self-powered data centres?
     

5. Responsible Innovation and Global Interoperability

  • How can the UK maintain openness and interoperability while protecting its sovereign interests?

  • Could the AI Growth Labs serve as testbeds for responsible and secure sovereign AI applications?

  • How do we ensure ethical assurance and risk oversight for sovereign AI models, particularly in critical sectors such as healthcare, law, and defence?

  • How can the UK influence international standards so that “responsible sovereignty” becomes a global benchmark?
     

6. Skills, Governance, and Long-Term Capability

  • What skills are needed to build and maintain a secure sovereign AI stack — from engineers to ethicists?

  • How can universities and industry collaborate to develop this workforce?

  • Should the UK create a National AI Resilience Board to oversee privacy, safety, and ethical assurance across the sovereign AI ecosystem?

  • How can we ensure that governance frameworks evolve as fast as the technology itself?
     

7. Investment and Industrial Strategy

  • How can government, investors, and industry share responsibility for funding sovereign AI infrastructure and innovation?

  • Could a Sovereign AI Investment Fund help anchor R&D, data assets, and intellectual property in the UK?

  • How can procurement and industrial policy encourage adoption of UK-developed, privacy-preserving AI tools across the public sector?
     

8. Public Value and Democratic Accountability

  • How do we ensure that a sovereign AI stack serves the public interest — not just economic goals?

  • What accountability mechanisms are needed to ensure AI is deployed safely and ethically within government and public services?

  • How can civil society and citizens be meaningfully involved in shaping the UK’s sovereign AI roadmap?

 

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