The UK government has launched the AI Opportunity forum to increase the adoption of AI in the private sector.

Companies including Microsoft, Google and Vodafone will partner with the government to boost productivity, growth and innovation.

The project is overseen by the technology secretary Michelle Donelan and the prime minister’s special advisor on business and investment Franck Petitgas.

The forum will focus on the AI culture and skills of organisations in the UK, how they manage governance, awareness, and risks of the technology. The forum will also look at the availability of data that UK businesses use, which the government said is a crucial component in the use and development of AI.

According to the government, only around ten per cent of organisations are fully prepared to roll out AI technology despite its importance.

The forum aims to tackle this problem by sharing best practices and ways that organisations can improve their AI readiness.

“We want to see organisations across the UK tapping into the transformative power of AI to boost their productivity, unlock new opportunities, and drive growth,” said Donelan. “The AI Opportunity Forum brings together our brightest minds from the worlds of AI and business to drive forward that effort.

“AI develops at an incredible pace, and we’re acting in lockstep to ensure businesses and employees in every sector of our economy can take advantage of this generation-defining technology.”

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