'We will work with anybody in this sector, whether it is Elon Musk or anybody else,' says Keir Starmer
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a conciliatory tone, expressing a willingness to collaborate with US tech billionaire Elon Musk and other industry leaders in a bid to make the UK a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking during a Q&A session following a policy speech Monday, Starmer emphasized his government's focus on fostering AI innovation, positioning it as a transformative opportunity rather than a threat.
“We will work with anybody in this sector, whether it is Elon Musk or anybody else,” he said. “We are a government that is focused on being number one when it comes to AI.”
Starmer's remarks came just weeks after he publicly condemned Musk for spreading inflammatory and false claims about child abuse gangs in the UK, drawing attention to the Labour Party leader's assertive stance on misinformation.
But in Monday's comments, Starmer avoided direct criticism, instead highlighting the investment and support from key AI figures in the UK's approach to the technology.
His pragmatic stance reflects Labour's broader aim to position the UK at the forefront of the AI revolution.
Starmer stressed the need to balance regulation with fostering innovation, presenting himself as part of a “second group” of policymakers who see AI as a “fantastic opportunity” rather than a risk to be tightly controlled.
When questioned about Meta's decision to stop using factcheckers for Facebook content in the US, Starmer adopted a similarly measured approach.
Instead of critiquing the tech giant, he pointed to the UK's Online Safety Act as a framework for ensuring accountability on digital platforms.
He described the provisions in the legislation as “right” without directly addressing Meta's controversial policy shift.
With AI poised to bring rapid and profound changes, Starmer framed the technology as a “gamechanger” that could outpace previous industrial revolutions.
