Kyle’s remarks come as world leaders and tech executives gather for the Feb. 10–11 summit, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Attendees include US Vice President JD Vance, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and China’s Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing, alongside AI leaders such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
Kyle positioned the UK as a leader in AI, citing its “skills and scientific pedigree” as critical for ensuring that democratic nations stay ahead.
“[The] government has a role in reinforcing our democratic principles, our liberal values, and our way of life,” he said, adding that some nations are seeking to shape AI according to their own ideologies.
While he did not name China directly, Kyle’s comments follow growing concern over DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model seen as a challenge to US tech dominance. Some investors have called DeepSeek’s rise a “Sputnik moment” for AI, as it rivals leading Western models at lower costs. UK officials are reviewing its national security implications.
Unlike the 2023 AI summit at Bletchley Park, which focused on AI safety, the Paris gathering will center on economic and cultural implications, global governance, and ethical AI development. Discussions will include energy efficiency, accessibility, and copyright concerns in AI training data. A draft summit statement emphasizes AI should be “open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy.”
Kyle defended UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision not to attend, arguing that Starmer had already demonstrated leadership through the government’s AI action plan.
Meanwhile, the UK has launched bidding for AI growth zones, aiming to establish datacenters in underdeveloped regions. Kyle stressed that these areas, especially those that once relied on heavy industry, should be prioritized for AI-driven economic revitalization.
“We are determined that these parts of the country are first in the queue to benefit,” he said.
The government has identified interest from Scotland, Wales, and northern England, with the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire being considered for a trial growth zone. Given AI’s energy demands, officials plan to boost power capacity in these zones, potentially exceeding 500MW—enough to supply about two million homes.
As global competition in AI intensifies, the Paris summit will be a key moment for shaping international AI policy, with democratic nations looking to assert leadership.
