One million students to receive AI training in new skills drive
Secondary school pupils will be taught new skills to make sure they can get AI-powered jobs in the future, the prime minister is set to announce.
It comes as research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) showed that, by 2035, AI will play a part in the roles and responsibilities of around 10 million workers.
One million students will be given access to learning resources to start equipping them for 'the tech careers of the future' as part of the government's £187m 'TechFirst' scheme, Downing Street said on Monday.
The announcement came just hours after technology secretary Peter Kyle admitted that AI 'does lie', acknowledging that the technology was 'not flawless'.
The TechFirst programme will be split into four strands, with TechYouth – the £24m 'flagship' arm – aimed at giving students across every secondary school in the UK the chance to gain new AI skills over three years.
Sir Keir Starmer is also launching a new government partnership with industry to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential skills to use AI by 2030.
Tech giants including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Nvidia, BT and Amazon have signed up to make 'high-quality' training materials widely available to workers free of charge over the next five years, No 10 said.
Sir Keir said the government is 'putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it'.
He added: 'This training programme will unlock opportunity in every classroom – and lays the foundations for a new era of growth.
'Too many children from working families like the one I grew up in are written off. I am determined to end that.'
Sir Keir hosted a private reception at Chequers on Sunday with leading technology bosses and investors, including former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, Faculty AI co-founder Angie Ma, Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis and Scale boss Alex Wang.
On Tuesday, he will invite industry figures to Downing Street, including 16-year-old AI entrepreneur Toby Brown, who recently secured $1m in Silicon Valley funding for his startup, Beem.
Asked about the risk of AI producing unreliable information, Mr Kyle said 'people need to understand that AI is not flawless, and that AI does lie because it's based on human characteristics'.
'Now it is getting more precise as we move forward. It's getting more powerful as we move forward,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.
'But as with every single technology that comes into society, you can only safely use it and wisely use it by understanding how it works.'
He added: 'We are going to legislate for AI going forward and we're going to balance it with the same legislation that we'll bring in to modernise the copyright legislation as well.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
28 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
From Visas to Jets, US and China Are Finding New Trade Leverage
Donald Trump brought many of the same grievances to his second trade war against China, but the economic battleground that's emerged since then is making it harder to avoid a rupture this time around. While tariffs kicked off the dispute, it's the new trade weapons being unsheathed by both sides that have come to define the latest standoff. And if the damage done so far is any indication, the scars will prove more enduring — no matter the outcome of trade talks in London that will continue into a second day on Tuesday.
Bloomberg
28 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
UK Will Launch Market for Private Share Sales Later This Year
The UK will launch a new market for private companies selling shares later this year, which regulators say will give firms access to more investors without the hurdles of a stock market listing. The Financial Conduct Authority said the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System, or PISCES, will only be available for institutions and individuals willing to take on high-risk investments, as well as employees of participating companies.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New stock market for shares in private companies to open in UK
A new type of stock market will open in the UK later this year, allowing investors to trade shares in privately-owned companies — as opposed to those that are publicly owned and listed, for example on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Referred to as Pisces — which stands for a Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System — the first trading could begin on the new stock market in the next few months after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved the rules around it. The FCA hopes the move will support the UK economy by giving more choices to the investment community and attracting new funds for growing businesses. Although Pisces has already officially launched, trading cannot begin until companies who will act as operators start their platforms, which are subject to licences. With more companies choosing to stay private for longer, the new trading system was created to give investors access to businesses they otherwise could not fund, and to allow those holding shares in private businesses the chance to cash out. That can be as a result of shares being given as part of an employment package, for example, or by being an investor in an earlier round of private fundraising — which isn't always accessible to private investors. Pisces is set up in the FCA's sandbox environment to allow for experimentation on what works, what is required and what best practice will turn out to be. The plan is for around a five-year developmental phase, during which time testing and adjusting will take place with the framework, ahead of permanent rules being established in 2030. While Pisces is the framework for the stock exchange itself, individual operators will operate the ability to trade — comparative to now, for example, in how people with an investing Isa on an app or with their bank go through them to buy or sell companies or funds listed on the LSE. Those operators will have flexibility on the type of private companies they list; the FCA expect some may operate by size or industry, or perhaps on timing of share sales. Shares may be available to buy quarterly or annually in different private companies, for example, or during set windows according to their need. While the new private stock market is largely welcomed, investors will need to be aware of the additional risks which may be involved, compared to putting money into listed companies. Legislation exists to demand retail investors have a certain amount of knowledge before parting with their money, but this includes being 'self-certified' according to investing experience. Additionally, while public stock markets are heavily regulated — one of the reasons companies stay private instead of floating — the idea for this sandbox platform is to stay similar to private market processes and laws. As a result, for example, the process known as insider trading will not apply in the same way, potentially leading to an imbalance of information between those privately investing and institutional, professional investors. Emma Reynolds, economic secretary to the Treasury, said: 'Pisces is a great example of industry, regulators and the government working together to go further and faster on innovative reforms to strengthen UK capital markets, supporting economic growth and putting more money in people's pocket as part of our Plan for Change. 'I welcome the FCA's announcement, which follows our legislation and opens Pisces to industry. This also builds on our announcements on a Stamp Taxes on Shares exemption for Pisces transactions, and on employees retaining the tax advantages on eligible shares traded.' Simon Walls, executive director of markets at the FCA, added: 'This bold design rebalances risk, but it is bold risk taking that made the UK the leading financial centre it is today. The new platforms will give investors greater access and confidence to invest in exciting new companies, while early backers and employees can sell up and invest again. 'Pisces is the latest step in the FCA's wide-ranging reforms to the UK's markets to boost growth and competitiveness.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
