Greater Manchester's policy agenda treats AI as a public service tool rather than a standalone priority, sparking safety debate

Well I found out and the answer is: not very. AI is not a priority for the Burnham team

They do appear to take it seriously but as part of their existing agenda

Main Burnham AI advisors are:

1. Josh Simons. Before becoming an MP he worked for Meta AI. He’s expected to take on a fairly wide role in any new administration and has previously called for tech platforms to be regulated as “utilities for democracy “

2. Antonio Weiss, a Cambridge academic who is currently on the UK Digital Service Responsible AI Panel and has written a book called “AI Demystified”

The agenda is still v much in flux but according to multiple sources the main elements are:

1. A sense that government is getting a lot right on AI

2. A hope that AI can be used to reinvent public services - tech as “digital public infrastructure”. The aim is to get real practical benefits from AI

3. “Pro-decentralisation”: spreading AI’s economic benefits to the rest of the country. One question being asked is: which places outside London could have world-leading ecosystems

4. Reducing US dependence in some way (yet to be defined but I’m told they’re “asking the right questions”)

Lots of questions.

Can you really decentralise without killing growth in London?

Will the “not a priority” policy endure the next AI shock?

And of course: who will be the next Chancellor?

More as I get it