Andy Burrows

CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation

Social media is harming children, and politicians are turning to an under-16 ban. Yet, Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation set up after Molly Russell’s death, explains why this instinctive solution could backfire and how we can approach creating better protections for children.

Every parent worries desperately about the Internet. They are entirely right to do so. More than eight years after the death of Molly Russell, the risks of social media remain pervasive and entirely unacceptable.

For children’s online safety and well-being, it increasingly appears that this year will mark an inflection point.

Driven by increasing calls for a social media ban, there is now irresistible political pressure for the Government to address the acute harms that continue to take young lives and the chronic harms that affect the mental health and well-being of teens.

When Molly died, she was days away from her 15^th birthday. She had everything to live for. However, as the inquest into her death determined, Molly’s well-being was being steadily eroded by social media algorithms that bombarded her with a continuous stream of dangerous and deeply inappropriate suicide and self-harm content.

Regrettably, Molly’s death was not an isolated incident. Here in the UK, we lose a young person to suicide where technology plays a role every single week.

The Harms are Real and Ongoing

Research conducted by the Molly Rose Foundation found that half of the girls surveyed encounter content about suicide, self-harm, depression, or eating disorders each week. This isn’t an aberration, but the inevitable result of Silicon Valley business models that ruthlessly exploit and monetise our children’s attention.

In the face of such disturbing and pervasive widespread harm, it is no surprise that the patience of parents and caregivers has finally snapped. After years of delays and wholly insufficient action, parents understandably feel let down by successive governments and regulators, but most of all by tech firms that consistently prioritise corporate profit over children’s safety.

In the void created by legislation that was repeatedly delayed and then watered down, many parents have wholly understandably decided that the political will to decisively protect our children just isn’t there.

In opposition, Labour’s now Deputy Leader, Lucy Powell, announced that the Party would introduce stronger online safety legislation as a “top priority”. She promised parents, “I have met many of the families who have lost teenagers from online activity, and I promised them we would act.”

When the Government came into power, those promises came to nought. Lobbying from tech companies and the geopolitical headwinds from Washington DC meant that children’s online safety was yet again traded off.

In the face of such inaction and inertia, it is no wonder that calls to follow Australia’s lead and ban under-16s from social media have grown. Other countries, including Spain, have announced they will follow suit.

Why an Under-16 Ban is the Wrong Answer

As Chief Executive of the online safety charity founded in Molly’s name, you might expect me to be enthusiastically supportive of calls for a ban. The reality is the opposite. Along with over 40 other children’s safety experts and groups, I passionately believe that social media bans are the wrong approach.

Though well-intentioned, bans could end up doing more harm than good. In Australia, the early indications are that bans are proving to be wholly ineffective. For example, Instagram has only removed one account for every eight young people aged 8 to 15. Snapchat has performed only marginally better.

Parents are right to demand bold and comprehensive further action. However, families deserve better than a blunt and simplistic approach that affords them a false sense of safety, and that may make the safety and well-being of their children worse rather than better.

If properly enforced, a ban would introduce a deeply damaging cliff edge for older teens – and particularly girls – who would be suddenly exposed to poorly regulated online platforms on their 16^th birthday.

With few, or no, protective guardrails in place, I’d worry deeply about the risks of suddenly exposing teenage girls to the worst excesses of social media platforms, especially while they are wholly ill-equipped and inexperienced to deal with the misogyny, toxicity, and sexual abuse they will regrettably continue to face.

We should be deeply worried about the risk that a ban will erect a new set of barriers that will make it harder and much less likely for children to disclose abuse and get the help and support they need.

Crucially, we must recognise that every child is different, that every childhood has different needs. Many young people rely on social media for connection, identity exploration, and support. For LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse children, being online can offer real benefits around identity, self-esteem, and peer support.

In Australia, we are already seeing children being referred to youth mental health services after being cut off from their online support networks. The country’s CAMHS equivalent reports that 10 per cent of new referrals stem from the country’s social media ban. 

A Better Way Forward

However, there is another, better way. I utterly reject the idea that we must either support a counterproductive ban or continue to tolerate the appalling status quo.

For a start, the Prime Minister must press ahead with a bold expansion of the Online Safety Act, ensuring it finally tackles addictive design and attention-based business models.

We should see the introduction of risk-based minimum age ratings, which would see platforms adopt higher minimum joining ages if they offer higher risk design features, for example, livestreaming or AI chatbots.

We should introduce a new duty on tech firms to promote and protect children’s well-being, making well-being-by-design the price of admission to the UK market.

This means their algorithms must not only be free of harmful content, but must recommend high-quality, age-appropriate content from a diverse range of trusted sources, including trusted mental health support, education providers, and public service broadcasters.

As the Government’s consultation gets underway, I am hopeful we will finally see the urgent and decisive action that parents and children are rightly demanding.   

Support for a new Online Safety Act is considerable – three-quarters of adults want strengthened legislation, with more support being expressed for tougher regulation than for an Australian-style ban.

It’s time for this Government to act. It’s time for a bold and comprehensive plan that, if backed by political will, will attract the support of experts, civil society, young people, and a clear majority of parents.

Parents want us to focus on the ends, not the means.

And they desperately need us to get this right.

This article features in the new edition of ChamberUK. Our parliamentary journal.

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Image credit: Shutterstock

Chris Sherwood

Chief Executive Officer at the NSPCC

Nudification: drawing on evidence from Childline cases and online monitoring, Chris Sherwood argues for stronger legal duties on AI developers and platforms to prevent the generation of child abuse material.

At the NSPCC, we are deeply concerned about the dangers children are facing from artificial intelligence.

While AI presents wonderful opportunities, it also poses significant safety risks to young people.

It’s a powerful tool that can easily be misused. Generative AI has made it terrifyingly easy for offenders to create abuse material at scale.

We’re no longer talking about hypothetical dangers or future threats. The harm is happening right now, in real time, to real children, and the systems meant to protect them are nowhere near strong enough.

Nudification Harm is Already Happening

Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material are growing at an alarming rate. The Internet Watch Foundation recorded a fourfold increase in this material in their annual report published last year.

Perpetrators are using image generators and nudification apps to create hyper-realistic child sexual abuse material, which can be used to abuse and blackmail young people.

Publicly available open-source AI models, such as Stability AI and Black Forest Labs, have been exploited by perpetrators to create child sexual abuse material.

It’s likely we only know a fraction of these cases, as offenders can edit and manipulate open-source models out of sight of the platforms and law enforcement.

This is simply not good enough, and we can’t allow it to continue.

Recent reports that X’s Grok has been misused to create child sexual abuse material and enable the creation of semi-naked and naked images of adults and children are inexcusable, and they show that this illegal content can be generated on popular social media sites and then used to harm children.

Devastatingly, through Childline, we are hearing from young people who experience abuse caused by the misuse of generative AI.

One 16-year-old boy, who contacted the service, told us that a girl claiming to be his age made fake sexual images of him and threatened to share them to his friends unless he sent her £200.

We are also hearing firsthand from young people about the devastating impact on their safety, mental health, and wellbeing when nude images of them are created and shared.

Each contact we receive illustrates to me that much more needs to be done to address the harms children tell us they are experiencing because of the misuse of AI.

Where the Law Falls Short

Currently, there is a patchwork of different legislation that protects children against some AI risk. This includes the Online Safety Act, which goes some way to mitigating the dangers by requiring many AI companies to conduct risk assessments and remove AI-generated child sexual abuse material when detected.

However, many AI chatbots are not in-scope of the Act. Grok was alarmingly easy to exploit and put children at risk of having illegal material generated of them, which could be used to bully, extort or torment.

It’s clear that the Online Safety Act does not require services to robustly test their training data to ensure child sexual abuse material cannot be generated, before models are rolled out.

The Crime and Policing Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, has a number of new measures to tackle AI-generated child sexual abuse material, which we welcome. These include criminalising image generators that have been designed to create this illegal content and banning nudification apps.

Criminalising these functions is a positive step. However, I believe that a more preventative approach is needed to ensure this content is not created in the first place.

Without stronger, comprehensive safeguards, we leave loopholes that offenders can exploit, putting children at serious risk.

A Preventative Duty of Care for AI

The NSPCC is calling for the creation of a Statutory Duty of Care for Children’s Safety, ensuring that there are comprehensive protections in place for children across all AI products and services.

As part of this Duty of Care, AI developers would be required to robustly test their models to ensure that child sexual abuse material cannot be generated on their service.

This would mean ensuring no images of children are included in datasets and requiring platforms to work with trusted partners to safely test models using sets of known child sexual abuse material.

The UK’s world-leading AI Security Institute, which already conducts tests on some of the most-used AI platforms in the world, should also support the effort to protect children.

We believe their role should be expanded to help prevent the creation of child sexual abuse material.

This Duty of Care would also ensure that children are always protected when they interact with AI-generated content, such as being able to report fake nude images of themselves.

I also think that practical guidance for parents and education in schools should be provided to give everyone a better understanding of the risks of this new technology.

These requirements and new support would help ensure that services are held fully accountable for protecting children from this horrific type of online abuse and stopping illegal activity at source.

We must act now. Unless technology companies are compelled to use every tool available to combat this sinister and illegal abuse, children will continue to pay the price.

The digital world is a fundamental part of young people’s lives; they must be able to enjoy its benefits whilst staying safe.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

This article features in the new edition of ChamberUK. Our parliamentary journal.

You can buy your copy here.

At a roundtable with leading firms including Snapchat, Meta, YouTube and TikTok on Monday 9 March, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall MP warned companies that failing to act decisively could result in further intervention from government.

The meeting comes amid growing concern about misogyny, harassment and image-based abuse on digital platforms, and follows a series of legislative and regulatory measures introduced in recent months.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall said:

“Every woman and girl deserves to be safe online and we will stop at nothing to ensure the digital world is working for them, not against them.

“This Government has taken tough action to tackle intimate image abuse, deepfakes and the online harms women and girls face every day.

Now, tech companies must go above and beyond to use the tools readily available to them to make their platforms safer. If they don’t, these companies are not innocent bystanders – they are enabling abuse to thrive.

That is why we are asking Ofcom to report swiftly on how companies are complying, because better safety and better accountability go hand in hand.”

New legal powers targeting online abuse and deepfakes

The warning follows a series of recent government interventions aimed at addressing online violence against women and girls.

Over the past six months, ministers have taken steps to strengthen protections under the Online Safety Act, making intimate image abuse, cyberflashing and choking priority offences. These offences are now treated with the same seriousness as child abuse or terrorism in terms of platform responsibilities.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister publicly criticised the AI platform Grok after illegal sexualised images of women and girls circulated on the site. Within days, the Government fast-tracked legislation to ban the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfakes.

Further legal requirements now mean technology companies must remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours of being flagged, shifting responsibility from victims to platforms.

Meanwhile, an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill has created a new criminal offence targeting so-called “nudification apps” – AI tools that generate synthetic sexualised images of women and girls.

Ofcom expected to name platforms failing to act

Three months ago, Ofcom published guidance outlining measures companies can take to reduce online abuse, including:

• Prompts encouraging users to reconsider harmful posts
• Limits on coordinated pile-ons
• Stronger default privacy settings
• Hash-matching technology to detect and block intimate images

The regulator is now expected to report on which platforms are failing to comply with these measures.

The Government has urged Ofcom to publish its findings as soon as possible, enabling users to make informed decisions about which platforms are prioritising safety.

Women shaping the future of technology

Alongside regulatory action, the Government is also seeking to increase women’s involvement in shaping emerging technologies.

Later this week, Liz Kendall will convene the Women in Tech Taskforce, which aims to address bias in technology design and ensure women are involved in the development of future digital platforms.

The Government has also launched a public consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, inviting parents, guardians and young people to share views on how to strengthen protections across social media, gaming platforms and AI chatbots. The consultation will inform further policy decisions later this year.

Industry leaders call for cultural change in technology companies

Industry leaders say stronger regulation must be accompanied by deeper cultural change within technology companies.

Zahra Shah, Chair of the UKAI Women in AI Working Group, said:

“The Secretary is right to set this challenge. The moment for voluntary measures has passed. If we are serious about safety, it must be woven into the fabric of technology from the outset – not added as an afterthought when harm has already been done.

“Through UKAI’s work in Parliament and with industry leaders, the collective view is clear: regulation alone is not enough. We need a cultural shift inside these companies, where protecting women and girls becomes a measure of success, not a compliance burden.

“Britain has a choice: we can lead the world in responsible AI, or we can import the mistakes of the past. UKAI will work with government and industry to ensure we lead.”

As the regulatory landscape evolves, pressure is mounting on technology companies to demonstrate that safeguarding users – particularly women and girls – is embedded at the core of how digital platforms are designed and governed.

The UK Government has announced plans to establish a new Fundamental AI Research Laboratory, backed by up to £40 million in funding, aimed at supporting ambitious scientific work that could unlock the next generation of artificial intelligence breakthroughs.

The initiative, announced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) alongside UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will fund high risk, high reward research projects designed to address some of the most persistent challenges in Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems today – including hallucinations, limited memory and unpredictable reasoning.

Ministers say solving these technical barriers could enable AI to deliver transformative improvements across sectors such as healthcare, transport, scientific discovery and public services.

The funding will be available over six years and will be accompanied by access to the UK’s AI Research Resource computing infrastructure, providing researchers with large scale computational power worth tens of millions of pounds.

Tackling the limits of today’s AI

Artificial intelligence has rapidly moved from experimental technology to everyday use in hospitals, schools and workplaces. It is already being deployed to screen patients for cancer, optimise transport systems and accelerate scientific research.

However, experts say current systems remain constrained by fundamental weaknesses such as unreliable reasoning, hallucinations and limited memory.

The new lab will focus on rethinking how AI systems are built, rather than simply scaling up existing models with larger datasets and computing resources. Researchers will be encouraged to pursue new approaches that could make future systems more accurate, transparent and trustworthy.

If successful, these advances could support earlier medical diagnoses, more resilient infrastructure, faster scientific discovery and better digital tools for everyday use.

Government seeks bold ideas from researchers

Applications for the new research laboratory are now open, with the Government inviting AI experts across the UK to put forward ambitious proposals.

The programme will support the kind of foundational research that can take years to bear fruit but has the potential to unlock entirely new capabilities in artificial intelligence.

AI Minister Kanishka Narayan MP said the investment reflects the Government’s ambition for the UK to remain at the forefront of global AI development.

He said:

“AI is already doing things we could never have imagined just a few years ago, like helping to diagnose cancer. It can and will do even more – but if we want this technology to be a force for good, we need to make sure the next big AI breakthroughs are made in Britain.

“This is a long term investment in the brilliant minds who will keep the UK in the AI fast lane. If we are the ones breaking new ground on what AI can do, we can make sure our values are baked in from the outset. This is a critical part of our mission to make AI work for everyone.”

Expert panel to review proposals

Applications will be assessed by a peer review panel chaired by Raia Hadsell, Vice President of Research at Google DeepMind and a government AI ambassador.

Hadsell emphasised the importance of foundational research in unlocking AI’s full potential.

She said: “AI has the ability to solve humanity’s most complex problems, and fundamental research that helps this technology achieve its full potential is key. The UK has the world class talent and academic ecosystem to drive transformational research, and I am excited to see the proposals that emerge from this call.”

Part of a wider national AI strategy

The new laboratory forms an early step in delivering UKRI’s recently published AI Strategy, which aims to strengthen the UK’s research leadership in artificial intelligence.

The strategy commits £1.6 billion over the next four years to support AI research, infrastructure and skills development across mathematics, computer science and engineering.

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director of the Strategy Directorate at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), said the investment builds on the UK’s existing strengths in foundational research.

He said: “Fundamental research enables long term breakthroughs in AI. The UK’s capability rests on exceptional talent and world leading university excellence, which underpin today’s systems and will power the next generation of technologies. By backing ambitious, ground breaking work, the new Fundamental AI Research Laboratory will unlock fresh capabilities, strengthen trust and reliability, and help the UK remain at the forefront of advancing AI for society and the economy. This investment builds on a global reputation in mathematics, computer science, and engineering, supporting bold, high reward ideas that can shape the future of AI.”

Chief Executive of the UK’s trade association for the AI economy, UKAI, Tim Flagg welcomed the announcement: “This is a welcome investment in the UK’s future capability to lead in AI. The UK consistently punches above its weight in AI research and development, thanks to our world-class universities and exceptional talent.

“The real opportunity now is to ensure those breakthroughs move from the lab into the market, connecting university research with businesses that can scale these innovations, and ensuring government plays its role by adopting and procuring AI solutions across the public sector. If we get that pipeline right, this investment in fundamental research can translate into the next generation of world-class AI companies, positioning the UK as a global innovation leader and ensuring the breakthroughs discovered here are also built, scaled and deployed here.”

AI research already delivering real world impact

UKRI backed AI research is already being deployed across critical infrastructure and healthcare.

Examples include the RADAR AI system, which detects faults on the UK railway network in real time, and the IXI Brain Atlas, a dataset helping researchers analyse brain scans across more than 40 clinical trials investigating degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

With international competition in artificial intelligence accelerating, the Government hopes the new research lab will help ensure the UK remains a leading centre for cutting edge AI development while supporting economic growth, public sector innovation and scientific discovery.

Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care offers a progress report on the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England and sets out his vision to reduce waiting lists before the next General Election. (Picture by Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)

When my NHS doctor broke the news that I had cancer, no matter how gently they delivered that diagnosis, the revelation still hit me hard. But what happened next was amazing.

The NHS wove its web of care around me. From the get-go, I was supported with compassion, empathy, and world-class treatment by an incredibly dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and surgeons tasked with helping me beat the disease. The NHS saved me. They saved me. My gratitude and respect for what they did is limitless.

For more than 76 years, our national health service has been saving and supporting all of us – our friends, families, and loved ones – through every life stage. Truly, this organisation is woven into all our lives, and my connection to it feels more personal than ever.

Healthcare, free at the point of use for all, is one of Britain’s noblest principles, admired around the world. It is an enduring principle that drives me every day. Yet now, the very idea of the NHS remaining free at the point of use is under threat. 

Lord Darzi’s 2024 review of the NHS, commissioned by this Government, highlighted some shockingly critical problems. Patient access had deteriorated: waiting lists for hospital, GP, and mental health services had ballooned. Meanwhile, A&E delays were posing genuine risks to patient safety. Resources were poorly allocated: too much being spent on hospitals, while community care and capital investment had been woefully neglected, leaving buildings crumbling and technology languishing in the last century. Productivity was low, despite increasing staff levels, with poor patient flow and inefficient processes holding back output. Together, these challenges had left the NHS overstretched, inefficient, and struggling to meet rising demand.

“Of course, we already knew, before entering government, that business as usual was not an option”.

Lord Darzi’s report simply confirmed the scale and urgency of the task: the “money in, poorer services out” cycle had to end.

That is why, earlier this year, we launched the most extensive public engagement on the NHS in a generation, Change NHS, culminating in the publication of the 10 Year Health Plan for England. 

This is not a short-term sticking plaster, but a long-term strategy to re-energise the health service. What differentiates it from past efforts is delivery; the plan is already being implemented, backed by real funding and structural reform.

At its core are three “big shifts”

• From hospital to community
• From analogue to digital
• From sickness to prevention

These ambitions are not new, but this time, they are matched with the resources, workforce, and accountability needed to make them real. The first months of implementation have shown what delivery looks like in practice.

Funding: an additional £29 billion has been committed in real terms over the next three years, not just to patch holes, but to invest in long-term productivity and reform.

Workforce: over 2,000 extra doctors are already in post, with further expansion underway.

Thousands of new appointments have been released through recruitment and smarter scheduling, giving patients faster access. And now, instead of sending every patient straight into a hospital queue, more GPs are getting rapid expert advice from specialists on when referrals are needed. Hundreds of thousands of people are now avoiding unnecessary delays and receiving faster treatment closer to home. The 8 am scramble to book GP appointments is over for many, as practices keep online booking systems open outside core surgery hours

Cancer and diagnostics: advances in screening and detection technology are being rolled out nationally, enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention and better survival rates.

Medtech innovation, from AI-assisted imaging to faster blood tests, is moving from pilot to practice.

Reducing waiting lists: the backlog is turning a corner. By expanding capacity, streamlining pathways, and tackling inefficiencies, we are shortening waits that frustrate patients and demoralise staff.

Productivity and efficiency: a determined drive to reduce agency spend is paying off, with more shifts covered by permanent staff, stabilising teams and saving money that can be reinvested in frontline care.

Indeed, acute trust productivity rose by 2.7 per cent over the past year, higher than our two per cent target.

Leadership and accountability: for the first time, underperforming trusts are being named in league tables. This transparency is driving a culture shift: strong leadership will be celebrated, while failing institutions are expected to improve rapidly under clear mandates.

These early wins demonstrate the plan is not just about aspiration, it’s about delivery, and it is already changing the patient experience.

One of the most significant reforms underway is the creation of neighbourhood health centres, integrating GPs, community nurses, mental health professionals, and diagnostic services under one roof. By offering credible local alternatives, these centres will, over time, reduce hospital admissions and ease pressure on acute wards. Crucially, integrated care systems (ICSs) are being empowered to adapt these models to local needs, while being held accountable for results. This blend of local flexibility and national rigour is the bedrock of sustainable reform.

The NHS App is also evolving into the true “digital front door” of the service. By 2027, the NHS will have effectively set up an ‘online hospital’ – NHS Online. This digital innovation will connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere in England. Already, thousands of extra appointments have been booked digitally, saving patients time and reducing administrative burdens for staff.

“Perhaps the most profound shift is a renewed focus on prevention”.

For too long, the NHS has been forced into reactive care, treating illness once it has taken hold. That is changing. Expanded screening, vaccination campaigns, and proactive management of chronic conditions are now central to delivery. These measures are not only cost-effective but also vital to addressing health inequalities, not least in the younger generation. That’s why we’ve moved to ban sales of energy drinks to under 16s, announced restrictions on junk food TV advertising before the 9 pm watershed and tasked supermarkets to tackle obesity by setting new standards to make the average weekly shop healthier.  

Life expectancy still varies dramatically across England. By embedding prevention into local services, we are beginning to close the persistent gap in outcomes between wealthy areas and deprived coastal or rural communities.

The NHS is being given the clarity it has long lacked. The new mandate sets sharper performance requirements on waiting times, GP access, urgent and emergency care, and cancer diagnosis, with progress published openly.

Improvement plans are no longer optional. Autonomy is being earned by results, while decisive interventions are made where standards are not met. This is how we will make sure ambition is translated into outcomes for patients.

The 10 Year Health Plan is ambitious, but it is also practical, realistic, and frontloaded to deliver

Patients are beginning to see shorter waits and better access. Staff are benefiting from clearer priorities, stronger support, and a renewed sense of purpose. This is the NHS we all want. A modernised national health service, one that is stronger, fairer, and reflective of our increasingly diverse and complex society.

By embracing innovation – investing in people, technology, and prevention – we’re building an NHS fit for the future: resilient, responsive, and ready to serve the health needs of this country for generations to come.

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Throughout Saturday and Sunday, Tai Po became a sea of flowers. Thousands queued along the riverbank leading up to the burnt-out ruins of Wang Fuk Court, where a fire had left 156 dead as of Tuesday. People stood in line for hours to lay white flowers in front of the buildings. Many of the mourners were crying, shaking their heads in disbelief as they looked up towards the blackened towers. But besides the grief, another feeling was palpable: anger.

Image: Mourners queue to lay down flowers the site of the blaze

An Avoidable Disaster, Years in the Making

​As the scope of the tragedy grew clearer, so did the questions over whether it could have been prevented. The Labour Department, responsible for construction safety, had confirmed over the weekend that it had been receiving fire safety complaints from residents of the estate about construction mesh and scaffolding around their buildings since last year. The department had reportedly inspected the site several times, most recently on the 20th of November, issuing warnings to the contractor, but never enforcing them.

Local media also reported that Tai Po district councillor Peggy Wong acted as a consultant to the company managing the renovations, though Wong denies involvement. On Monday, city officials stated they found mesh at the site that did not meet fire safety standards. Hong Kong police subsequently arrested 13 people connected to the construction firm. 

The government has accused the firm of “gross negligence.” City leader John Lee stressed that police will find the culprits and announced an “independent review committee” chaired by a judge. Lee acknowledged the need for “systemic” reform, admitting there had been “several lapses.”

But many aren’t convinced the government will actually get to the bottom of this.

“It’s ridiculous”, said Janet Chung, as she queued to lay down flowers at the site of the fire. Chung, who asked to use a pseudonym, had been there every day since the fire started on Wednesday. “Police arrested the first of the 13 a few hours after the towers started burning,” Chung said. “How on earth did they investigate anything that fast?” She was also angry at Chief Secretary Eric Chan saying the city would phase out bamboo scaffolding as a result of the fire. “Bamboo isn’t the cause. It’s corruption,” she said, lowering her voice. People in the queue started to turn around. Criticising the government has become dangerous in Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong people understand this was not an isolated incident,” said Kris Cheng, a journalist from Hong Kong now based in the UK, who has covered the city for years. “There are systemic issues: the failure to eradicate corruption in the bidding process for construction building, the hiring of external labour to cut costs, and the use of poor-quality materials.” Cheng notes these problems have been known for years. “Ironically, some of the people who raised these issues are now in prison for their political activities,” he added.

The Arrest of Miles Kwan

Miles Kwan hands his leaflets to anyone who wants them. On this Friday night, two days after the fire started, he positioned himself strategically at the main exit of the busy Tai Po Metro station as commuters rushed by him. “We Hong Kongers are united in grief, united in anger about this fire”, Kwan told local media outlet Hong Kong Free Press. On the leaflets, he had written four demands to the government, calling for an independent inquiry into the cause of the fire and holding officials accountable. “If the government interprets these simple demands as inciting hatred, that would be very oversensitive of them”, Kwan said.

Amidst the anger, Kwan’s demands for accountability hit the nail on the head for many Hong Kongers. A petition started by the student online reached 10,000 signatures within a day, as thousands voiced support on social media. Then, on Saturday evening, the petition disappeared. Local outlet South China Morning Post reported that Kwan had been arrested for sedition, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in jail under new security laws. On Monday, Kwan was photographed leaving a police station.

After Kwan, two more people were arrested for sedition, including a former pro-democracy district councillor. In a press conference, city leader John Lee did not comment on individual cases, but said that most Hong Kongers stood together in the face of the fire. “But we will show no tolerance for those who disrupt this unity now, who exploit this tragedy,” Lee said. Similarly, Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has warned “anti-China disruptors” that they will face the “full force” of the security law. Chinese State newspaper “China Daily” directly referenced Kwan’s petition in an editorial on the weekend, speaking of actors allegedly attempting to “tear society apart under the guise of petitioning.”

​

People lay down white flowers in front of the burnt-out towers as part of a temporary vigil in memory of the 156 people that were killed in the fire

Behind the Crackdown​

“This said a lot about shrinking room for freedom of expression in Hong Kong,” said Alan Tan. A well-known political commentator who remains based in Hong Kong, Tan did not want to be identified by his real name. “What they are most scared of is that Kwan called for an independent investigation. The government is paranoid of a commission that could summon their own officials.”

The commission launched by John Lee will not have those powers. It cannot summon officials or punish them for refusing to answer questions. Although Lee acknowledged the need for systemic reform in Monday’s speech, he said the investigative review would be sufficient.

Kris Cheng said Kwan’s arrest did not surprise him. “These arrests create a climate of fear,” he said. “That is exactly what the government wants. People are allowed to be sad, but they cannot be angry publicly.”  Yet he argues that Hong Kongers are angry. “The fire was likely preventable, yet under the current system, those brave enough to speak out end up behind bars. That is what makes people the angriest.”

Cheng points out that the swift crackdown likely occurred because Kwan’s “four demands” reminded authorities of the “five demands” at the center of anti-government protests that rocked the city in 2019. “They are very sensitive about that topic,” Cheng said.

Hong Kongers staged mass pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020, which turned increasingly violent on both sides and ultimately culminated in a government victory and the passage of the National Security Law, which protesters had warned would be a tool to silence dissent. After a crackdown on civil society and democratic backsliding facilitated by then-security minister John Lee, a mass exodus of pro-democracy Hong Kongers followed. Now that Lee is city leader, observers say he has further cracked down on freedom of speech. Lee himself maintains Hong Kongers can still express their opinions freely, and that the National Security Law merely protects the peace, while he is leading Hong Kong into “order and prosperity” in strong collaboration with mainland China.

Tight Control- Inspired by the Mainland

“In Hong Kong, we’re seeing a very Chinese approach of crushing all dissent by force now,” said Emma Smith, a financial professional who witnessed the 2019 pro-democracy protests first-hand. She did not want to be quoted with her real name. “At least, because Hong Kongers still have some guaranteed rights under the Basic Law, [the government] need the workaround of the vague national security law. But that works fine for stomping people’s rights,” she said.

Kris Cheng agreed, “officials in Hong Kong now routinely echo Beijing’s rhetoric and prioritise ‘stability maintenance’ over transparency. This is very much the Chinese model.”

For Cheng, the intensity of the Hong Kong crackdown also reflects lessons Beijing has drawn from its own protest movements. He points to the 2022 White Paper Movement, where young people took to the streets holding up white sheets of paper. It remains the most open challenge to Xi Jinping’s rule in recent years. “And it all started with a mishandled fire in an apartment block in the city of Ürumqi,” Cheng said. “So the Chinese government knows what something like this can ignite.”

Image: “GOV is to blame” message on a Lennon Wall

Echoes of a Different Time

Indeed, it became evident that despite the fear, the government cannot quite stifle a certain rallying spirit. Around the city, “Lennon walls”, styrofoam boards where people attach post-its, appeared again. A method used in 2019 to voice anonymous dissent, several walls now contain defiant messages about the fire.

And, like in 2019, volunteers around the site of the fire gathered quickly, without being told to, organising help and supplies for both victims and first responders via social media, bridging the city’s diverse communities. “This is the Hong Kong spirit,” said Faisal, an imam at a mosque near Tai Po. He had shown up at the site of the fire for the third time on Sunday, bringing Pakistani food for the displaced. “Everyone helps together here, no matter where you’re from,” Faisal said proudly. “We don’t need a leader for that.”

Image: Election posters in Wang Fuk Court

An Election Few Expect Much From

Around Wang Fuk Court, election posters still hang. The vote for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council will go ahead on December 7. But the political system has been dramatically reshaped. After a sweeping overhaul, the public elects fewer representatives, and all candidates must be vetted by a committee to ensure only “patriots” govern.

“It will not be an enthusiastic event,” said Tan. The previous election under the new system drew a record-low turnout. This time, despite free public transport and celebrity advertisements, Tan predicted apathy. “The future of democratic development is bleak.”

Cheng agreed: “The fire gives them an excuse for a potentially low turnout at least. They will try to pretend everything has gone back to normal after.”

Image: Mourners queue along the Tai Po riverbank, watched by police

Back in Tai Po, the election feels far away. Janet Chung laughs bitterly at its mention. “When is that even? They have to have it, I guess.” Chung has made it to the front of the line, the square underneath the towers. Swarming with volunteers days ago, it is now staffed with government employees. “Go, go,” the staff hurry mourners along. After standing in the queue for over an hour, they get twenty seconds to lay down their flowers before being ushered back towards the station. The mourners have been allowed a bit of sadness. Nothing more.

The obesity medicines, science, data, and digital capacity now exist to treat obesity as the chronic, relapsing condition it is – and to prevent millions of avoidable cases of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer. The task ahead is to align political will, evidence, and implementation so that this becomes the nation’s ‘Herceptin moment’ for obesity.

Three Big Shifts Shaping the UK Approach

The first shift is from sickness to prevention. Tackling obesity must be understood as part of the wider cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) prevention agenda – addressing obesity as the root cause of multimorbidity and building a prevention-led NHS that strengthens workforce participation and economic productivity.

The second is from analogue to digital. Evidence shows that the greatest and most sustainable weight loss occurs when medicines are paired with continuous digital behavioural support. The UK already has National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)-accredited digital providers, such as Reset Health and Roczen, delivering safe, scalable care with clinical oversight. As Roczen’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Barbara McGowan, recently noted, “Integrated digital-first delivery, with medical oversight and behavioural support, improves patient access and outcomes and reduces the burden on local NHS services.”

The third shift is from cost containment to economic growth. Access to proven obesity treatments and digital support not only saves lives but also saves public money by reducing long-term sickness, NHS resource utilisation, and welfare dependency. As the new Health Innovation Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, has argued, “Harnessing life sciences innovation in areas like obesity care is central to both prevention and prosperity.”

“The UK can lead the world in obesity innovation – turning once-in-a-generation scientific breakthroughs into lasting health and prosperity for all” ~ Vice President of UK & North Europe IQVIA Angela McFarlane.

Harnessing the Power of UK Health Data

The UK’s ability to deliver on these shifts depends on its unmatched health data infrastructure. Scotland’s unique Community Health Index (CHI) number provides lifelong, linkable records, which, when combined with IQVIA’s leadership in delivering health data-enabled real-world studies, underpinned by digital patient support platforms, create one of the richest anonymised datasets in Europe.

This integrated approach will enable policymakers to prioritise which communities stand to gain most from treatment, monitor real-world outcomes, and adapt commissioning based on live evidence rather than retrospective analysis. As global demand for real-world data grows, this capability also strengthens the UK’s position as a preferred destination for research and investment.

Scotland Leading the Way: Scotland Cardiometabolic Impact Study (SCoMIS)

The announcement of the landmark Scotland CardioMetabolic Impact Study (SCoMIS) marks a major step forward in the UK’s efforts to tackle obesity through innovation and inclusion. SCoMIS is a multi-million-pound study funded by the UK Government. IQVIA will deliver the landmark SCoMIS real world evidence study in partnership with the Universities of Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk.  SCoMIS will invite 3,000–5,000 people living with obesity and related comorbidities from across the most economically deprived communities in Scotland.

SCoMIS will shape how an incretin-based weight-loss medicine (GLP-1s) can be safely, effectively, and equitably delivered in everyday NHS settings, such as GP surgeries and community pharmacies. The study will explore not only clinical outcomes, but critically, the impact on health inequalities, NHS healthcare resource usage and capacity and economic productivity. 

Professor Jason Gill, Professor of CardioMetabolic Health at the University of Glasgow and lead of the SCoMIS consortium, describes it as “a landmark real-world study evaluating a new model of obesity care, providing incretin treatment via primary and community care to Scottish adults living with obesity, with a focus on those in the most economically deprived communities”.

The project exemplifies the UK Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, combining scientific excellence, partnership, and equity. As UK Science Minister Lord Vallance noted, “Scotland is home to a vibrant life sciences community, fuelled by strong public and private sector partnerships and supported by top-tier universities and the NHS. New ways of tackling obesity offer the chance to give people their health and wellbeing back – in some cases, offering a route back to the dignity of work.”

DiCE-REALM Study – Digital Support at Scale

In addition to supporting research for improved access to innovative GLP1 therapy for NHS patients, IQVIA has created the DiCE-REALM study (Digital and Clinical Excellence Real-World Evidence for Advancing Lifestyle and Medication) in partnership with the DiCE network.  

The DiCE network represents the reputable digital online health providers programme that enables UK citizens to realise appropriate access to GLP1 therapies privately and online. DiCE- REALM will be the first study in Europe to experience some of the 2.5 million UK citizens who are taking weight loss medications, and it will look at the safety, efficacy, and, crucially, how digital therapeutic tools and behavioural coaching can be optimally combined with innovative pharmacotherapies, such as incretin-based weight-loss medicines (GLP-1s).

By studying these self-funded pathways, DiCE-REALM aims to generate critical insights into patient behaviour, engagement, and long-term outcomes, ensuring that lessons from the private market inform future public provision.

UK Health Innovation Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, said, “More than 1 in 3 adults in Scotland’s most deprived areas are living with obesity. The UK Government is committed to tackling inequality wherever it finds it in our country. It’s why this landmark UK government investment is targeting help where it’s needed most in Scotland and meeting people where they are and backing helping the NHS services they trust to treat them.

“The UK Government sponsorship of this landmark Scottish SCoMIS study is a live example that our Life Sciences Sector Plan is working in every part of our country – backing British innovation, Scottish jobs and positioning the UK as a global leader in health research.”

OPIP: Replacing a Broken System

The current tiered model for obesity care has failed people living with obesity (PWO). Access remains patchy, thresholds arbitrary, and referral routes slow. The Obesity Pathway Improvement Programme (OPIP) proposes a single, integrated pathway that replaces tiers with need-based, digitally enabled access.

Under OPIP, primary and community care – supported by pharmacists and accredited digital providers – become the front door for prevention and treatment. Medicines are managed as part of chronic disease care, not an escalation step, and outcomes are tracked through linked data to ensure equity and accountability.

“The UK Government sponsorship of this landmark Scottish SCoMIS study is a live example that our Life Sciences Sector Plan is working in every part of our country – backing British innovation, Scottish jobs and positioning the UK as a global leader in health research” ~ UK Health Innovation Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed.

The Triple Helix for Obesity

Taken together, these programmes form a Triple Helix of action

1. Transformative medicines that deliver measurable cardiovascular renal metabolic, and weight management outcomes.
2. Digital behavioural support to sustain those gains, build primary care capacity and scale access.
3. Public health and prevention to address upstream drivers and reduce inequalities.

This model moves the conversation from isolated interventions to a coherent national framework for prevention-led growth.

Funding the Next Phase – a Sovereign Prevention Fund

Delivering this vision requires predictable funding. Establishing an Obesity & CVRM Sovereign Prevention Fund, modelled on the Cancer Drugs Fund, would secure rapid access to innovation while demonstrating fiscal responsibility. The Fund could be supported by a hypothecated levy on ultra-processed food producers and fast-food delivery platforms, recycling harm into health gain.

This approach would accelerate access to the 181 obesity treatments currently in global development, attract more clinical research to the UK and enable equitable rollout across the NHS.

A National Opportunity for Growth and Health

If fully implemented, these reforms could transform lives and strengthen the economy within the course of this Parliament.

• Health: fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity-related cancers, and musculoskeletal conditions; sustained weight loss; and improved wellbeing.
• NHS: reduced waiting lists and pressure on primary care through primary prevention underpinned by digital wrap-around patient support programmes.
• Economy: lower absenteeism, higher workforce participation, and savings that outweigh programme costs.
• Equity: better outcomes for those living in our most deprived communities, closing rather than widening health gaps.

From Evidence to Action

The UK now has the evidence, the partners, and the momentum. SCoMIS will generate the critical real-world data; REALM will demonstrate the benefits of citizen choice; OPIP will build sustainable care pathways; and the Sovereign Prevention Fund will unlock scale. Together, they embody the prevention-led, economically grounded strategy the Health Secretary has championed.

As IQVIA’s SVP and General Manager for Northern Europe, Tim Sheppard notes, “SCoMIS aims to demonstrate, through advanced real world evidence, how expedited access to innovative medicines – combined with IQVIA AI-driven digital patient support – will build capacity in primary care and improve outcomes for patients, whilst driving economic growth.”

This is the moment to act boldly. With clear ministerial backing and collaboration across the public, private, and academic sectors, the UK can lead the world in obesity innovation – turning once-in-a-generation scientific breakthroughs into lasting health and prosperity for all.

The NHS wove its web of care around me. From the get-go, I was supported with compassion, empathy, and world-class treatment by an incredibly dedicated team of doctors, nurses and surgeons tasked with helping me beat the disease. The NHS saved me. They saved me. My gratitude and respect for what they did is limitless. 

For more than 76 years, our national  health service has been saving and supporting all of us – our friends, families and  loved ones – through every life stage. Truly, this organisation  is woven into all our lives and my connection to it feels more  personal than ever. 

The NHS under threat

Healthcare, free at the point of use for all, is one of Britain’s noblest principles, admired around the world. It is an enduring  principle that drives me every day. Yet now, the very idea of  the NHS remaining free at the point of use is under threat.  

Lord Darzi’s 2024 review of the NHS, commissioned by this government, highlighted some shockingly critical problems.  Patient access had deteriorated: waiting lists for hospital,  GP, and mental health services had ballooned. Meanwhile,  A&E delays were posing genuine risks to patient safety.  Resources were poorly allocated: too much being spent on  hospitals, while community care and capital investment had  been woefully neglected, leaving buildings crumbling and  technology languishing in the last century. Productivity was  low despite increasing staff levels, with poor patient flow and  inefficient processes holding back output. Together, these  challenges had left the NHS overstretched, inefficient, and  struggling to meet rising demand. 

“Of course we already knew, before entering government, that business as usual  was not an option” ~ Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP.

Lord Darzi’s report simply confirmed the scale and urgency of the task: the “money in, poorer services out” cycle has to end.

10-Year Health Plan

That is why, earlier this year, we launched the most extensive  public engagement on the NHS in a generation, Change  NHS, culminating in the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan (10YHP).  

This is not a short-term sticking plaster, but a long-term  strategy to re-energise the health service. What differentiates  it from past efforts is delivery: the plan is already being  implemented, backed by real funding and structural reform. 

At its core are three “big shifts”: 

• from hospital to community, 

• from analogue to digital, 

• from sickness to prevention. 

These ambitions are not new, but this time they are matched  with the resources, workforce, and accountability needed to  make them real. The first months of implementation have  shown what delivery looks like in practice: 

Funding: an additional £29 billion has been committed in  real terms over the next three years, not just to patch holes,  but to invest in long-term productivity and reform. 

Workforce: over 2,000 extra doctors are already in post, with further expansion underway. 

Thousands of new appointments have been released  through recruitment and smarter scheduling, giving  patients faster access. And now, instead of sending every  patient straight into a hospital queue, more GPs are getting  rapid expert advice from specialists on when referrals are  needed. Hundreds of thousands of people are now avoiding  unnecessary delays and receiving faster treatment closer to  home. The 8am scramble to book GP appointments is over for  many as practices keep online booking systems open outside core surgery hours. 

Cancer and diagnostics: advances in screening and  detection technology are being rolled out nationally, enabling  earlier diagnosis, intervention and better survival rates. 

Med-tech innovation, from AI-assisted imaging to faster  blood tests, is moving from pilot to practice. 

Reducing waiting lists: the backlog is turning a corner.  By expanding capacity, streamlining pathways, and tackling  inefficiencies, we are shortening waits that frustrate patients  and demoralise staff. 

Productivity and efficiency: a determined drive to reduce  agency spend is paying off, with more shifts covered by  permanent staff, stabilising teams and saving money that  can be reinvested in frontline care. 

Indeed, acute trust productivity rose by 2.7 per cent over the past year, higher than our two per cent target.

“Early wins” driving the 10 year plan

Leadership and accountability: for the first time,  underperforming trusts are being named in league tables.  This transparency is driving a culture shift: strong leadership  will be celebrated, while failing institutions are expected to  improve rapidly under clear mandates. 

These early wins demonstrate the plan is not just about  aspiration, it’s about delivery, and it is already changing the patient experience. 

One of the most significant reforms underway is the creation of Neighbourhood Health Centres, integrating GPs, community nurses, mental health professionals, and diagnostic services  under one roof. By offering credible local alternatives, these  centres will, over time, reduce hospital admissions and ease  pressure on acute wards. Crucially, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs)  are being empowered to adapt these models to local needs,  while being held accountable for results. This blend of local flexibility and national rigour is the bedrock of sustainable reform. 

NHS app – a “digital front door”

The NHS App is also evolving into the true “digital front door”  of the service. By 2027, the NHS will have effectively set up  an ‘online hospital’ – NHS Online. This digital innovation will  connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere in England.  Already, thousands of extra appointments have been booked  digitally, saving patients time and reducing administrative  burdens for staff. 

“Perhaps the most profound shift is a renewed focus on prevention” ~ Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP.

From reactive to proactive care

For too long, the NHS has been forced into reactive care,  treating illness once it has taken hold. That is changing.  Expanded screening, vaccination campaigns, and proactive  management of chronic conditions are now central to  delivery. These measures are not only cost-effective but  also vital to addressing health inequalities, not least in the  younger generation. That’s why we’ve moved to ban sales of  energy drinks to under 16s, announced restrictions on junk  food TV advertising before the 9pm watershed, and tasked  supermarkets to tackle obesity by setting new standards to  make the average weekly shop healthier.  

Life expectancy still varies dramatically across England. By  embedding prevention into local services, we are beginning  to close the persistent gap in outcomes between wealthy  areas and deprived coastal or rural communities. 

The NHS is being given the clarity it has long lacked. The  new mandate sets sharper performance requirements on  waiting times, GP access, urgent and emergency care, and  cancer diagnosis, with progress published openly. 

Improvement plans are no longer optional. Autonomy is  being earned by results, while decisive interventions are made  where standards are not met. This is how we will make sure  ambition is translated into outcomes for patients. 

Final thought

The 10-Year Health Plan is ambitious, but it is also practical,  realistic, and frontloaded to deliver 

Patients are beginning to see shorter waits and better access.  Staff are benefiting from clearer priorities, stronger support,  and a renewed sense of purpose. This is the NHS we all want. A  modernised national health service, one that is stronger, fairer,  and reflective of our increasingly diverse and complex society. 

By embracing innovation, investing in people, technology,  and prevention, we’re building an NHS fit for the future:  resilient, responsive, and ready to serve the health needs of  this country for generations to come.  

The summit consisted of a series of three high-level panels, keynote contributions, and a fireside chat. It tackled several key issues, asking where AI is making strides in improving equality and where it may be reinforcing harmful biases.

Also broached were themes such as the role of AI in addressing safety, risk, and gender-based violence, and questions around how leaders and allies can embed fairness into procurement, governance, and real-world deployment. Participants all called for renewed opportunities for international collaboration to establish ethical, transparent AI ecosystems.

The event was organised by UKAI Women in AI organiser and Senior Policy Advisor Cecilia Jastrzembska, with support from fellow members of UKAI’s Women in AI working group. The event’s panel chairs included VP and Global Data Privacy Officer at Wipro Ivana Bartoletti, AI and Ethics Consultant at Full Fathom Five AI Claire Roberts (née Smith), and CEO/Principal Consultant, CKC Cares Ventures Ltd Cha’Von Clarke-Joell. 

This summit facilitated insightful discussions and valuable collaboration on ensuring AI serves as a force for good in shaping a more equitable future. 

Should Misogyny be classified as a “hate crime”?

The panel opened with a call to collective engagement, as Cecilia Jastrzembska urged participants to “be part of the conversation.” She described her work on a campaign with the European Parliament to classify misogyny as a hate crime, noting that “one woman is killed every three days in the UK and that has not changed since 2009.” Her message was that the norms established online will “materially affect our physical realm.”

Fighting the “global crisis” of violence and misogyny in AI

Head of AI at Globeducate Clara Hawking followed by emphasising that violence and misogyny constitute “a global crisis,” cautioning that the issue is too often framed as a women’s safety problem instead of “a cultural engineering problem” in which boys are “at the centre of it” and thus also harmed.

She described four forces shaping online misogyny: platforms that reward engagement, content that spreads quickly because it elicits strong reactions, generative tools that make creating sexualised or abusive content “incredibly easy,” and malicious groups using gamification to recruit and radicalise youth. This environment, she warned, is becoming “a training ground for a belief system of our entire generation.” She urged governments to act, insisting that “technology that’s harming children is unacceptable” and must be met with criminal and financial accountability. Without intervention, she said, “we will lose that whole generation.”

“One woman is killed every three days in the UK and that has not changed since 2009″ ~ Cecilia Jastrzembska

Transforming theory into real-world action

Researcher on Bias in AI Data at Durham University Dr Sarah Wyer widened the lens to technology strategy. She argued that a new wave of AI systems is designed not just to capture attention but to foster “emotional connection,” warning of violent simulations becoming normalised. She described scenarios where boys engage with AI “pretend girlfriend” chatbots and enact extreme violence without consequence. Such behaviour, she stressed, “doesn’t just stay within that space” and will translate into real-world harm. “If we don’t act now,” she said, “we’re going to see a huge spike in sexualised violence against women.”

“Technology that’s harming children is unacceptable” ~ Clara Hawking

Cha’Von Clarke-Joell highlighted the need for “allyship and AI leading systems that work for all,” stressing that men hold the majority of senior AI roles and thus play a crucial part in preventing AI from becoming “an accelerator of bias.” She framed the moment as part of a larger “digital poly crisis.”

The importance of male allyship

Male allyship advocate and Founder of Male Allies UK Lee Chambers said men must “consider their role within accelerating gender equality in tech,” noting that better diversity improves “data, design,” and decision-making. Panny Antoniou connected inclusion to national security, stating that in defence contexts, imbalance is “a matter of life and death,” because homogenous teams produce “dangerous outcomes.” Inclusion ensures systems work across borders and reduce “critical operational blind spots.” Claire Roberts corroborated this sentiment, insisting that “this topic and the importance of these kinds of conversations are more important than personal accolades”.

Creating more robust ethical frameworks

Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Lea Rattei argued that organisations must treat bias like security vulnerabilities, suggesting that “it needs to financially hurt” when companies fail. Compliance frameworks, she argued, should resemble SOC2 or ISO audits. Her core message was that we must “stop teaching women how to survive the system and start teaching men how to change the system.”

The summit concluded with Zahra Shah and her call to action: “The time for talking is over. We are now in the era of action.” Ultimately the summit convened lively discussions among progressive, forward-thinking experts, each committing to embedding the summit’s agreed structures for ethical AI regulation and digital literacy into their companies. 

UKAI is committed to supporting and encouraging female leadership within the AI industry and looks forward to hosting further online and in-person events for UKAI members and supporters, across the UK. The videos from this online summit will be shared on UKAI’s Website and Youtube channel over the next few weeks.

Denmark’s Proposed Social Media Ban: A New European Standard 

The new plan announced today by the Ministry of Digitalisation, would prohibit access to “certain” social media for anyone under 15 years old.

• Minimum Age: A new legal age limit of 15 for social media access
• Parental Consent Exception: The proposal includes a provision that would allow parents to give consent for their children to access social media from the age of 13, subject to a “specific assessment”
• Motivation: The government coalition cites disruption to children’s sleep, concentration, and peace, as well as the pressure from digital relationships and influence of commercial interests and harmful content. They state the need for society to step in where parents, teachers and educators cannot stop the development alone. 

The push for online safety extends beyond national laws. The European Commission (the EU’s executive body) has already issued guidelines to strengthen protections for minors and even tested a prototype for an age-verification app. Against this backdrop, Danish lawmaker Rasmus Lund-Nielsen of the Moderates party labelled the current situation, saying social media has become “the Wild West.”

Lund-Nielsen noted how widespread access is: “Every other 10-year-old is on TikTok, but now we are setting a limit.” He dismissed the idea that the danger is only a parental concern, stating “it is not just a parental responsibility to protect children from seeing Charlie Kirk being shot in the throat on social media.” Citing youth health statistics, he concluded that “society must step in and take responsibility” and that the ultimate goal is simply: “Now we are giving children their childhood back.”

Australia’s Landmark Ban: Setting the Precedent 

Australia, in November 2024, enacted a landmark law setting the minimum age for creating or maintaining a social media account at 16.

Image: Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

The law saw a strict minimum age of 16 for all major social media platforms enforced, including Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Youtube, Reddit and Kick. Platforms also faced potential fines of up to A$50 million (approximately £24.6 million) for systematic failures to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts. The law mandates platforms use age-assurance technologies such as facial analysis or ID checks, but not solely self-declaration to verify user’s ages and deactivate existing underage accounts. 

The Australian government has made exemptions for essential services like educational or health apps (e.g Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams) as well as messaging apps like Whatsapp.

The UK’s Online Safety Act: Focusing on Duty of Care and Banning Harmful Content

The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023, takes a different approach by imposing a duty of care on platforms to protect children, rather than a full-on outright age-based ban.

The Act requires platforms to implement systems and processes to protect children from illegal and “priority” harmful content.

Image: Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets staff as he visits the North Bristol Community Diagnostics Centre – Simon Dawson No 10 Downing Street

Services likely to be accessed by children must conduct children’s risk assessments. Platforms that host content deemed primary priority harmful content, including pornography, content promoting self-harm, suicide, or eating disorder, must use highly effective age assurance (like facial scans or photo ID checks) to prevent children from accessing it.

The law also requires platforms to ensure their algorithms do not promote or recommend harmful content to children, and to provide children with age-appropriate experiences and accessible reporting tools

These three countries, Denmark, Australia, and the UK, represent a trend of governments worldwide intervening to protect children from what is seen as a digitally unregulated and potentially developmentally damaging environment.

Featured Image via Danish PM Mette Frederiksen / Party of European Socialists

Why the UK must lead in technology

Reflecting on his time at the Treasury, Hunt described how he was struck by the sheer scale and diversity of the UK’s tech ecosystem, now valued at over £1 trillion and ranked third in the world behind only the United States and China.

‘We don’t talk about it very much because there aren’t many famous British tech names’, he admitted, but our technological ecosystem, to him, is both ‘exciting’ and ‘extraordinary’. Hunt cited Great Britain’s globally-leading universities (‘We’ve got the London, Oxford, Cambridge triangle’), and that outside the US, the UK is ‘the world’s biggest financial services sector’. He celebrated the ‘great’ spin-offs, science parks and tech parks owned by our universities – ‘every bit as good as what happens at Stanford and the Ivy Leagues’.

Hunt first announced his UK Silicon Valley ambition during his 2022 Autumn Statement, a period he described as ‘a pretty horrible moment’ for the economy. Despite the difficult context of rising energy prices and fiscal tightening, he said the idea was met not with ridicule but with recognition: ‘no one laughed. People understood we’ve got something going for us’. The former Chancellor believes the UK’s strengths in artificial intelligence, defence, and scientific innovation will underpin the country’s long-term economic growth.

‘My definition of great is very simple. It’s a country that can shape the world as well as be shaped by it’.

How to Power Growth

Hunt said the UK’s ambition to rival the US and China in technology depends on keeping British start-ups in the UK once they are successful and developed: ‘we’ve got to create an infrastructure where homegrown companies can IPO in the UK without having to go to NASDAQ or elsewhere once they hit unicorn status’. He claimed that British pension funds currently work at loggerheads to growth, rarely investing in domestic innovation, as opposed to other countries: ‘In the US, Canada and Australia, if you do an IPO, you can be confident that domestic pension funds will pour in. In the UK, less than 4% of their holdings are UK-based’.

He insisted that as a result, ‘North Americans are making more money out of our great hopes for the future than Brits are’, noting that 45% of British venture capital funding comes from North American pension funds, compared to just 3% from British ones.

Hunt also warned that energy prices could become a critical barrier to AI development and data-driven industries. ‘We have the highest energy costs in Europe. By 2034, data centres will use more electricity than the entire Indian economy. We’ve got to sort out our energy prices – they’re just too high’. Lower energy costs, he argued, are essential not only for competitiveness but also for the UK’s ambition to be a leader in AI infrastructure.

‘No one laughed. People understood we’ve got something going for us’.

Reforming the NHS

Jeremy Hunt’s belief that structural NHS reform is vital to accelerating technological adoption; that it is evidence of national greatness, the ‘most centralised health system in the world’, but challenged with healthcare innovation.

Hunt argued that excessive central control has made the system risk-averse and slow to adopt innovation. He called for decentralisation, giving more autonomy to hospitals and local health trusts; akin to the reforms that improved state schools over the past two decades: ‘when we gave headteachers power over budgets and accountability, we saw English schools become the best in the Western world. There’s no reason the NHS can’t do the same’.

He said decentralisation would not only reduce bureaucracy but also empower NHS leaders to partner more effectively with start-ups in diagnostics, predictive analytics and drug discovery. He insisted that were he to repeat his time as Health Secretary, he would have scrapped national targets, criticising them for making the system ‘too cumbersome and bureaucratic’.

AI Regulation

Hunt also addressed the UK’s position between the EU’s heavily regulated model and the US’s laissez-faire approach to artificial intelligence. He expressed his support for the US model: one of minimising regulation, ‘but being prepared to clear up the mess if there is one’.

Hunt clearly feels that Europe’s restrictive approach risks stifling innovation: ‘The EU asks, ‘Why don’t we have a Google or Microsoft?’ You’ll never get one with that kind of heavy-handed regulation’. But he did praise the UK’s tradition of independent, pragmatic regulation, noting that the country has led on digital safety and transparency, including age verification laws. He emphasised that it is most important to ‘keep regulators independent and responsive’.

The Politics of Optimism

Throughout the discussion, Hunt’s emphasis consistently rested on matters of national confidence. From the tech sector to health and regulation, he argued that the UK already has the talent, institutions and industrial base to compete globally, but that structural reform and investment are needed to unlock its full potential.

Hunt cited Donald Trump’s social media strategy as a positive harbinger of ‘this new world we’re in’ – that the US president seems able to tap into the public psyche, giving him a ‘unique ability to both listen and communicate’. His ability to do so, Hunt argues, rests on his spending three hours every day posting online – something that, Hunt feels, in British politics, should be ‘prioritised’.

In a political climate often defined by pessimism, Hunt clearly seeks to be a voice of pragmatic optimism: that Great Britain is indeed great, already equipped with the tools, the talent, and the institutions it needs to thrive – it simply needs the courage to use them. The question remains to be seen whether a public who have withstood so much pessimism will treat such optimism with cynicism, or support.

Minister Narayan, drawing on his experience as a venture capitalist and civil servant, outlined his ‘three Ss’ framework: Stories, Salience, and Skills. The concept aims to make artificial intelligence more inclusive, relevant, and accessible. He emphasised the central role of neural networks in driving economic growth and improving lives, reaffirming the government’s commitment to responsible innovation. The event featured contributions from Dawn Butler, Fatima Kamara, Lee Baron MP, and Emily Darlington MP.

UK Artificial Intelligence report launch

The evening began with the launch of UK Artificial Intelligence’s new report, Taking Responsibility for Diversity and Bias in AI, which examines how government, industry, and regulators can share responsibility for creating systems that serve everyone. Organisations that embed inclusion into artificial intelligence design are better placed to earn public confidence, attract talent, and drive growth.

Using real-world examples from sectors including recruitment and healthcare, the report shows how bias can arise through a lack of diversity, unrepresentative data, or opaque systems. It calls for earlier intervention, stronger transparency, and leadership across public and private sectors to prevent these issues from becoming systemic.

Labour, equality and artificial intelligence

The report’s conclusion communicates how fairness in artificial intelligence must be incorporated from the start. To lead globally in responsible innovation, the UK must strengthen standards, invest in skills, and ensure accountability across the neural network ecosystem.

The report’s launch was accompanied with speeches from Dawn Butler, Fatima Kamara, Chair of 1987 Committee, Lee Baron MP and Emily Darlington MP. Tackling diversity and bias in artificial intelligence is – and will become increasingly – vital as machine learning develops further. It is a sentiment which naturally aligns with Labour’s political mission, of commitment to fair and equal opportunities across society. If the UK is to be a leader in artificial intelligence, it will need to benefit everyone in its society.

Minister Kanishka Narayan MP’s vision

Minister Kanishka Narayan set out a clear vision for the future of artificial intelligence in the UK economy. Drawing on his experience as both a venture capitalist and civil servant, Narayan blended industry knowledge with public service insight, seeking to demonstrate his reliability as a publically-oriented figure to drive the tech sector.

Narayan’s Three S’s

The Minister has a track record of promoting technology adoption in his constituency, notably through his ‘All Hands on Tech’ campaign, which aims to increase artificial intelligence literacy and access across local communities in Glamorgan. Narayan outlined a practical framework for national progress centred around what he called the ‘three Ss’:

1. Stories: Highlighting real examples of how neural networks are improving lives and delivering tangible outcomes for people and businesses.
2. Salience: Ensuring artificial intelligence feels relevant and accessible, rather than abstract or remote from everyday experience.
3. Skills: Equipping people with the confidence and capability to use machine learning tools in their daily work and lives.

Narayan described artificial intelligence as something with the power to ‘bind us all together in a national vision’. During the discussion, questions covered a range of topics, from energy pricing – which Narayan noted was the issue most frequently raised at the conference – to artificial intelligence adoption in industry. Responding to a question from ServiceNow, a UKAI member, he referenced examples of AI-driven innovation in local call centres using the company’s technology.

Artificial intelligence policy development

Minister Narayan’s remarks demonstrate an ambitious approach to neural network policy. His policy plans attempt to stay grounded in practical experience and an understanding of both the economic and human dimensions of technological change. His commitment to placing artificial intelligence at the centre of the UK’s growth strategy was well received by attendees, offering reassurance that the sector has a champion with both vision and credibility.

UK Artificial Intelligence CEO Tim Flagg expressed his keeness to work collaboratively with Minister Narayan to advance innovation, inclusion, and long-term growth, as the UK seeks to consolidate its position as a global leader in responsible artificial intelligence.