Dawn Butler MP, who recently announced she will be running to succeed Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London, has outlined her proposals to turbocharge the capital’s tech capabilities if elected.
Speaking on Tuesday night at a special tech event in the city organised by UKAI, the MP Brent East outlined key polices she intends to promote as part of her campaign.
She stated her intention to create a ‘Station F’ style facility in London, similar to France’s 370,000 sq ft start-up campus, the largest in the world. Butler said: “I would love to have a Station F in London, I’d have a huge tech hub and encourage all these businesses to invest and grow.”
When asked about the role of AI, Bulter urged caution, recommending ‘guardrails’ our in place. She said: “We’re never going to stop advancement of AI at the speed that it’s going in other countries, but what we can do is put guardrails about how it’s used and what it’s used for. We have to understand it, how to use it and how to navigate it and develop critical thinking.”
Butler also pledged to get tough on mobile phone thefts, tackle the rise of gambling shops in deprived areas and encourage greater connectivity.
Attendee Chris Davison, chief executive London AI start-up NavLive said: “AI has the potential to completely transform London’s infrastructure, driving growth and creating jobs. Housing and development are key areas where the technology can have an impact, speeding up painfully slow surveyor and planning processes, and turbocharging the economy.
