In our previous post, we explored the foundational elements of the UK's AI Opportunities Action Plan and their implications for Chief Data Officers. Here, we turn our attention to implementation strategies and how CDOs can position their organisations to thrive in the AI-driven future the government envisions.
Adopting the “Scan > Pilot > Scale” Approach
The Action Plan explicitly recommends a structured “Scan > Pilot > Scale” methodology for AI adoption, particularly within the public sector. This pragmatic framework offers CDOs in both public and private organisations a roadmap for methodical implementation that balances innovation with risk management.
The Scanning Phase
The initial scanning phase involves building a deep understanding of AI capabilities mapped to your organisation's specific challenges and opportunities. For CDOs, this means:
- Appointing AI leads within each business function who can identify relevant use cases
- Establishing cross-organisational horizon scanning capabilities to monitor emerging AI developments
- Creating two-way partnerships with AI vendors and startups to anticipate future capabilities
This scanning phase should be continuous rather than one-off, ensuring your organisation remains abreast of rapidly evolving AI capabilities. CDOs should prioritise building institutional knowledge rather than relying solely on external consultants, as the pace of AI development requires integrated, ongoing assessment.
From Pilot to Scale
The Action Plan emphasises the need to move beyond small-scale, siloed pilots to achieve meaningful organisational impact. CDOs should develop:
• A consistent framework for sourcing AI solutions (build, buy or innovation challenge)
• Rapid prototyping capabilities with appropriate technical and delivery resources
• Data-rich experimentation environments with streamlined access to necessary infrastructure
• Multi-stage funding processes that apply increasing governance as investments grow
The transition to scale requires particular attention. The Action Plan recommends establishing a dedicated scaling service with senior support and centralised funding. This recognises a common failure point in AI implementation, promising pilots that never achieve organisation-wide deployment. CDOs should consider creating similar structures to shepherd successful experiments through to operational scale.
Enabling Public-Private Collaboration
The Action Plan places significant emphasis on sector reinforcement and how public and private entities can multiply each other's impact through collaboration. For CDOs, this presents distinctive opportunities.
The government commits to “procure smartly” from the AI ecosystem, combining its purchasing power with market-shaping intent. For private sector CDOs, this signals potential new market opportunities, particularly if you can demonstrate alignment with the government's AI standards and principles.
Public sector CDOs face the challenge of becoming exemplary AI customers, no small task given historical challenges in technology procurement. The Plan's recommendation to include “contemplation clauses” in contracts, requiring vendors to regularly assess and adopt newer technologies, represents an innovative approach to maintaining technological currency.
A particularly promising approach for CDOs in both sectors is the recommendation to use digital government infrastructure to create opportunities for innovators. The proposed API-first approach, inspired by Amazon's internal mandate, could dramatically simplify integration between government systems and private sector solutions. CDOs should evaluate how their organisations might either provide or leverage such APIs.
Becoming an AI Maker, Not Just an AI Taker
Perhaps the most ambitious element of the Action Plan is its vision for the UK as an AI maker rather than merely an AI taker. For CDOs, this distinction is crucial for long-term strategic positioning.
The Plan makes clear that "having a stake in - and being the natural home of - advanced AI could be the difference between shaping the future of science, technology and work and seeing these decisions made entirely outside our borders”.
On an organisational level, CDOs face a similar imperative. Being solely consumers of AI capabilities developed elsewhere limits strategic autonomy and competitive differentiation. The creation of UK Sovereign AI, a new unit with the mandate to maximise Britain's stake in frontier AI, provides a governmental model that CDOs might consider emulating within their own organisations.
For public sector CDOs, the directive is clear: you should be actively seeking opportunities to partner with UK Sovereign AI and align your organisation's AI strategy with national priorities. For private sector CDOs, particularly those in strategically important industries, there are potential opportunities to engage as partners in developing sovereign AI capabilities.
Regulatory and Governance Considerations
The Action Plan emphasises the UK's “pro-innovation approach to regulation” as a competitive advantage, but also acknowledges the need for appropriate safeguards. CDOs must navigate this balance carefully.
The government's commitment to supporting and growing the AI Safety Institute (AISI) signals continued emphasis on pre-deployment evaluations of frontier models. CDOs implementing advanced AI systems should consider adopting similar evaluation frameworks, particularly for high-risk applications.
The Plan also highlights the need to ensure regulators have the capabilities to support AI innovation in their domains. CDOs should actively engage with sector regulators, potentially participating in regulatory sandboxes where available, to help shape governance approaches that enable rather than hinder innovation.
The Risks of Strategic Delay
The Action Plan's tone conveys urgency throughout, a recognition that the AI landscape is evolving rapidly and strategic advantages may be fleeting. For CDOs, this urgency translates into specific risks if action is delayed:
• Talent concentration risks: the most capable AI professionals will increasingly cluster in organisations perceived as AI leaders, creating a virtuous cycle for early movers and a talent deficit for laggards.
• Competitive displacement: organisations that successfully deploy AI at scale can achieve step-changes in efficiency and effectiveness that may be difficult for competitors to match through incremental improvements.
• Regulatory disadvantage: as governance frameworks evolve organisations without established AI practices may find themselves trying to implement new technologies while simultaneously adapting to new regulations.
• Strategic irrelevance: perhaps most fundamentally, CDOs who fail to position their organisations as meaningful participants in the AI transformation risk diminishing their strategic importance and influence.
The Plan acknowledges that “no one can say with certainty what AI will look like a decade from now,” but concludes that “the risks from underinvesting and under-preparing seem much greater than the risks from the opposite”. CDOs would be wise to adopt a similar perspective.
Practical Next Steps for CDOs
To translate the Action Plan's national vision into organisational reality, CDOs should consider:
- Developing a comprehensive AI strategy aligned with both organisational goals and the national framework
- Creating an AI governance council bringing together technical, ethical, legal and business perspectives
- Establishing an AI innovation lab with dedicated resources for experimentation and scaling
- Implementing systematic AI skills assessments and development pathways across the organisation
- Identifying potential partnerships with academia, start-ups and public sector entities that align with their AI ambitions
The Action Plan represents perhaps the most comprehensive national AI strategy yet developed in the UK. For data leaders, it provides not just guidance but a mandate: AI is no longer a future consideration but an immediate strategic imperative. As one of the Plan's core principles states, CDOs should “be on the side of innovators” and position their organisations to lead rather than follow in the AI revolution.