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National Security: Digital Technology

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 15 September 2025UIN 72559

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 12 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what progress he has made in building the UK national security agenda for (a) AI and (b) other frontier technologies in order to create more national capacity.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan

DSIT is supporting the implementation of the National Security Strategy by identifying, nurturing, and protecting the UK’s sovereign strengths in science, technology, and innovation, and by aligning objectives and metrics to achieve measurable results.

The government's response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out a comprehensive programme of work to build national capacity and accelerate adoption. This includes our commitment to 20x public compute, establishing the sovereign AI unit backed by up to £500 million, and our investment into cutting edge research via the AI security institute. We have also committed to publishing an AI for Science strategy.

DSIT has also committed to work with the Ministry of Defence to pull through innovative capabilities to mission at speed and foster a thriving and world-leading UK defence technology sector through collaboration in multiple areas e.g. on the creation of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) and closer working on National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) investment programmes.

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