The United Kingdom (UK) may soon make it easier for global artificial intelligence (AI) experts to work and live in the country.
Matt Clifford, a technology investor and government adviser, recently suggested that the UK simplify its visa process for foreign AI specialists.
Clifford’s recommendations are part of a larger “AI Opportunities Action Plan,” as per The Financial Times.
This Action Plan, commissioned by Science Secretary Peter Kyle, aims to position the UK as a leader in AI and a top destination for AI talent and innovation.
It seeks to address some key challenges foreign experts face when trying to work in the country.
Alongside simplifying the visa process for AI experts, Clifford proposes creating “computing zones” in the UK.
These computing zones will boost data center growth and attract global AI companies alongside visa simplifications.
Streamlined visa process for AI professionals
One of the central recommendations of Clifford’s Action Plan is to make it easier and cheaper for foreign AI experts to get a UK visa.
Currently, the visa process is both costly and complex, making it difficult for UK companies to hire top overseas AI talent.
Clifford’s report proposes cutting these costs and reducing the paperwork for AI experts to live and work in the UK.
Currently, many AI professionals apply through the UK Global Talent visa scheme.
The visa targets leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, and digital technology.
The Global Talent visa requires them to secure an endorsement from UK-based organizations like Tech Nation or UK Research and Innovation.
This endorsement costs around £524, followed by a £192 application fee and an immigration health surcharge (IHS) of ££1,035 per year.
Global Talent visa applicants can bring family but must pay the same amount for each dependant they bring along, which can add up quickly.
By simplifying these requirements, Clifford hopes to make the UK a more attractive option for global AI talent.
The need for skilled workers in AI
The call for a simpler visa process comes as many companies in the UK struggle to find skilled AI professionals domestically.
This summer, Clifford held several industry roundtables where tech executives and investors shared their concerns.
They claim that the current visa system slows down the hiring process, leading companies to look to other countries for talent.
Clifford believes that updating visa rules for AI specialists is essential for the UK to remain competitive.
“AI presents us with so many opportunities to grow the economy and improve people’s lives,” he said via a news release in July 2024.
“The UK is leading the way in many areas, but we can do even better,” Clifford added.
These sentiments align with Peter Kyle’s vision, as the Science Secretary aims to make AI a central part of the country’s economic growth plan.
Introducing “computing zones” for AI infrastructure
Clifford’s Action Plan also suggests establishing designated “computing zones” in various parts of the UK.
These zones would make setting up data centers and the energy infrastructure needed to support them easier.
Data centers are essential for AI research and development, as they allow for the massive data processing needed in advanced AI work.
Establishing specific areas as computing zones would simplify regulations and lower costs.
This change would make it more attractive for companies to build facilities in these designated computing zones.
It could also address the issue of high energy costs, which has been a significant obstacle for data center developers.
Kyle has already designated data centers as “critical national infrastructure” to ensure that they have government support.
These computing zones would be critical for recovering from future cyber attacks and outages.
This means the zones would receive government support for security and operational resilience.
Potential pushback from immigration officials
The tech industry supports Clifford’s recommendation for a simpler and cheaper visa process for AI professionals.
Some policymakers may argue that simplifying visas for AI experts could increase immigration numbers.
Tech experts assert that the change is necessary due to a lack of qualified AI professionals in the UK to meet current demand.
Bridging the AI skills gap requires more than just domestic hiring, as the United States and Canada compete for the same global talent.
The UK Government has been aiming to lower net migration since it hit an all-time high of 764,000 in 2022.
The Global Talent visa program, introduced in 2020, saw over 17,000 applications by 2023, with more than 12,000 approved.
The Home Office, however, has tightened rules for several visa routes, such as student visas, skilled worker visas, and health and care worker visas.
It also asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review information technology (IT) and the engineering sector’s reliance on overseas workers.
The government has also vowed to stricter enforcement of work rules to cut net migration and reduce reliance on international workers.
Economic benefits of boosting AI talent
The Action Plan also highlights the economic benefits of making the UK more appealing to AI experts.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that full AI adoption could increase productivity by up to 1.5 percent annually if the technology is fully integrated across industries.
This productivity boost could eventually increase the UK’s GDP by as much as 10 percent by 2030.
Both the public and private sectors stand to benefit, as AI has the potential to improve services, create jobs, and lower operational costs.
Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, echoed this sentiment when Clifford commissioned the Action Plan in July 2024.
“Growing our economy and rebuilding Britain to make everyone better off is our number one mission,” she said.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to raise productivity and help us do that,” Reeves added.
Next steps for the AI Opportunities Action Plan
The full AI Opportunities Action Plan is expected to be released in November 2024.
The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) will create an “AI Opportunities Unit” to implement the accepted recommendations.
This unit will develop a strategy to support scalable and competitive AI development across the UK.
Clifford noted, “The UK is already leading in many areas, but with the right policies, we can unlock even more potential.”
A government spokesperson said they will respond to Clifford’s Action Plan “in due course.”