Select committee: Defence Committee
Conclusion 11
2nd Report - Developing AI capacity and expertise in UK defence
Published 10 Jan 2025
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The aspects of readiness identified in the Strategy are all valid ambitions but will not result in the effective deployment of AI-enabled defence on their own. To accomplish this MOD also needs to achieve a broader cultural change that goes beyond AI. The organisation needs to become more comfortable with rapid change, more open to experimentation and risk and more able to deploy and iterate cheaper, disposable, software-led solutions on faster timelines. There is evidence–including in the Defence AI Strategy and the new Integrated Procurement Model–that MOD understands this, but it is not clear that this has yet resulted in real change or that there is a coherent plan to bring about that change across the organisation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 38)
From: Defence Committee, 2nd Report - Developing AI capacity and expertise in UK defence (HC 590), 10 January 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 4 April 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and agrees with most recommendations, in several cases in general terms or subject to the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.
- On the Strategic Defence Review, it "agrees in general terms" that specific actions should normalise AI use, though the response "cannot pre-empt the findings of the SDR".
- On the Defence AI Strategy, it believes it is "more pertinent to focus on shaping our future approach" and anticipates the need to refresh its strategic approach, while agreeing that specific, measurable actions will be essential.
- On a new fund to scale innovations, it says ongoing discussions with HM Treasury "prevent a direct response", and will raise the recommendation with the Treasury "where it is appropriate to do so".
- On the Digital Strategy for Defence, it "partially agrees" and plans a refreshed digital strategy with an implementation plan and metrics; it says the Digital Backbone has no completion date.