Tom Bage

Over the last year and a half I’ve tried to string together the following articulation for Britain’s general AI strategy and posture. It is something like this: > The British Government is developing a new form of technological statecraft. > Unable to compete directly with the Americans + Chinese in building frontier AI, it has begun strategically establishing specialist institutions that give it insight into and occasional influence over the technology's development and application. >The first part involves setting up government-backed organisations that can help Britain understand the technology, and potentially create ways of testing it that lead to safer and more secure developments. This is what AISI does - the world’s leading Govt-backed org in this space. > This is part of a strategy to buy a seat at the US-China AI table too. > The second part is now beginning. It involves taking the information and analysis, and trying to apply it at new AI intersections with Govt x private sector crossover. > Take our new AI Biology Lab. It has been founded with two points in mind: help protect Britain from future pandemics (including potentially AI-created or enhanced ones), and help develop a biology industry at the frontier of this technology, tapping into deep existing strength across Government and the private sector. I expect it to be successful. > A point that is often missed: democratic countries will need to be able to evidence that they have taken meaningful action in the event of an AI-related incident that cuts across into their voting population’s radar. UK is arguably pioneering a model to try and also get ahead of this too. > Yes, it is not a perfect answer. More AI-compute, better salaries, less regulation on building, more tapping into cyber stuff etc etc, all points raised by others and myself before would be good. I think UK’s rollout on this is v short of where I would like it to be. > But this is the situation we find ourselves in. Much like foreign policy, governance behind the frontier is a choice between bad and very bad very often. A strong strategy involves trying to tip the odds more in your favour whenever possible.

Non-competes and long notice periods are holding back the next generation of British tech. With OLIX, @CallosumAI, @Orbital_Ind and @inherent_labs, we're asking the UK Government to limit them. Join the campaign: freetostartandscale.uk/

Plural, is by far, one of the most impressive and most interesting VC firms in Europe. Their mission has always been to back companies that could have a genuine GDP impact in Europe. If you look at their portfolio they really do back insanely unconventional founders building things that could have a transformational impact for the continent. Non-obvious bets that they made a few years ago are now doing insanely well. Across 2026 alone the portfolio has gone on to raise $3.3 billion. Some of the highlights include: - @HelsingAI raised $1.8bn - @ExplorationTEC raised $450m - @proximafusion raised $468m - @OLIXComputing raised $220m - @CallosumAI raised $100m - @Rivanindustries raised $34m These companies are leading the way in European defence, space exploration, nuclear fusion, chip design etc... industries which most investors weren't looking at a few years ago but have since become mainstream. The team have a remarkable knack for predicting future trends. NICE @pluralplatform team is made of @soundboy, @seikatsu, @taavet, @carinanamih, @KHelioui, @pierre_dimitri

A European space tech startup has just raised a $450m Series C to make reusable capsules and engines. Europe is starting to take space tech seriously. In the same week that @isaraerospace saw its successful launch, we now have a space tech company raise a $450 million round. @nyxcapsule (The Exploration Company) is developing its "Nyx" capsule, a reusable and launcher-agnostic spacecraft. The money raised will help accelerate the route to a successful docking with the ISS. It's also developing a reusable high-thrust rocket engine. The company has already secured $2 billion worth of contracts. The round has been co-led by Atomico (@LauraConnell18), the EU scale-up fund (@tedpersson) and Bessemer (@alexferrara). Its overall cap table is quite stacked with European firms which is great to see. Earlier investors include @pluralplatform and @balderton. Shout out to its very earliest investors, who led a $6m round into the company back in 2021 way before deep tech was the thing to invest in: @CherryVentures (@filipdames), @PromusVentures , @vsquareventures

.@SebJohnsonUK is a great follow. Impossible to disentangle AI from geopolitics, growth and power and this is an excellent feed on the companies building and shaping it.

"That's the SpaceX way, and that's the way you have to go." - @KHelioui Great deep dive into The Exploration Company and its formidable founder Hélène Huby in @derspiegel: spiegel.de/wirtschaft/the-ex…

Can we please have this truly unnerving fact front and centre when discussing whether or not the British government is actually going to commit the bare minimum of 3% of GDP on defence or not:

The UK’s AI Security Institute is an organisation close to my heart. Back in 2023 I was involved in its conception and creation. It’s gone on to do incredible things. A genuinely world leading org that shatters the myth that government can’t do things. So I couldn’t be more delighted to say that I’ve been appointed as AISI’s next Director, working alongside the brilliant @NateBurnikell as its new Chief Strategy Officer. AISI is the world’s most respected organisation for understanding the risks from powerful AI. That is thanks to their superb team of dedicated civil servants and technical researchers. Special thanks to Adam Beaumont who has done a great job as AISI’s interim Director for the last 9 months. He returns to GCHQ having seen AISI go from strength to strength under his watch. I’m hugely grateful for that and excited to work with and learn from him. Last year I wrote about AISI and why its form and function is so important. You can read that piece on the link below - it gives a good flavour of why I’m excited to be joining. I’m looking forward to getting started in September. henrydezoete.substack.com/p/…

Street votes: trying to find ways to incentivise dialling up our streets !!! thetimes.co.uk/article/590f0…

Planning applications have become much more complex over the last thirty years. The cost of preparing the reports required is about five times more than it was in 1990 (and that’s before the application fee itself if taken into account).

Hey, me again. I may not know much about the wider tech world. But I do know a little about the politics of tech. And let's be very very clear: any global (read: Western) effort to police #ArtificialIntelligence is an uphill challenge politico.com/news/2023/04/20…

“From day one I have been immersed in client projects spanning the financial, retail, and travel sectors. The warm and welcoming environment that Headland creates means you feel supported from the get-go.” To follow in Doug’s footsteps, apply here – bit.ly/3WdtJ9P

Fancy becoming an apprentice at one of London’s fastest-growing comms agencies? Headland Consultancy’s apprenticeship programme will give you an unrivalled grounding in Corporate Comms, Public Affairs, Financial Comms and much more. click here to apply: bit.ly/3Oro6Qo