Former BBC Dragons’ Den star backs UK AI action plan

Former Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney has backed the UK’s recently announced ‘ AI Opportunities Action Plan’ , calling it a necessary step to position Britain as a global hub for the technology.

The government’s plan, announced by Keir Starmer on Monday but developed under the leadership of tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, set out a strategy to leverage AI to drive the UK’s economic growth.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Linney praised the initiative, saying: “Falling behind will lead to global irrelevance and wealth destruction. Catching up in an exponential world is impossible.

“The global AI race is now on. Nations that act quickly will lead, and those that hesitate risk being left behind. This plan signals the UK’s intent not just to keep up but to set the pace.”

He also reposted a video of Clifford from the department for science, innovation and technology (DSIT), with the caption: “a step in the right direction”.

Linney, executive chairman and co-founder of Implement AI , has regularly spoken on the need for regulation and planning, posting on X: “We need a UK Manhattan Project to plan for exponential future across all policy”.

While largely supportive, the former Dragon’s Den star also addressed issues with the plan, questioning who the data centres were being built for and stressing that data must be “accessible to all businesses, not just the big players”.

He also highlighted the need for bolder strategies to address challenges faced by SMEs, which counter for 99 per cent of UK businesses.

“The UK’s 5.6m SMEs must be supported to implement AI effectively. Applying linear plans to an exponential future will not work”, he said.

“The AI Action Plan was light on the bold strategies that will be needed to achieve this. Applying the linear plans of the past to an exponential future will not work. The UK must plug the holes and reduce the barriers seen in the EU AI Act with its own version.”