Dan Jarvis, the United Kingdom’s security minister, has called on technology companies to work with the government in building artificial intelligence-powered cyber defense that would protect the nation’s critical networks.
Jarvis also unveiled the Cyber Resilience Pledge to strengthen cybersecurity across the private sector and announced an approximately $121.4 million investment to bolster the capability of small and medium-sized businesses to protect themselves from cyberattacks at the CYBERUK conference held in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday.
“Today I’m making a call to action for leading AI companies and UK innovators to work with the UK Government to build AI cyber defense capabilities,” the minister stated. “We’ve already made the UK a top destination for AI investment and want to take this work a step further in a generational endeavor to protect the UK from a new era of threats.”
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What Is the Cyber Resilience Pledge?
The Cyber Resilience Pledge is voluntary, with signatories expected to perform three actions to strengthen their cybersecurity:
- Treat cybersecurity as a board-level priority
- Sign up for the National Cyber Security Centre’s Early Warning program
- Make Cyber Essentials certification a requirement across supply chains
Cyber Security Minister Baroness Liz Lloyd has previously written to chief executives and chairs of nearly 200 U.K. companies to urge as many companies as possible to sign the pledge.
“Everyone has a role to play in bolstering Britain’s cyber defenses,” Lloyd said.
“The three actions we’re asking companies take are practical, achievable, and are proven to work — there is no good reason not to act,” she added.
Jarvis also shared that the $121.4 million investment to boost the cyber resilience of local businesses will go to programs under the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the National Cyber Security Centre.
How Is the UK Building Its AI Capabilities?
Jarvis’ call for cooperation aligns with the U.K. government’s increasing partnerships with technology companies to build the nation’s AI capabilities.
In September, NVIDIA announced a $15 billion investment to establish AI factories across the U.K. The factories, which will be powered by up to 120,000 Blackwell GPUs, are expected to become operational by the end of 2026.
The effort supports Stargate UK, an initiative that aims to strengthen the nation’s sovereign AI capabilities.
