Speakers

Sam Cannicott is the interim Director of the UK’s AI Opportunities Directorate in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which is taking forward the Government's AI Opportunities Action Plan launched by the Prime Minister in January. His role covers AI infrastructure, skills and talent, AI adoption and international engagement, and strengthening the UK’s sovereign AI capability. Much of his focus is on establishing AI Growth Zones, designed to build-out the UK’s AI infrastructure, supporting inward investment, while also helping UK based companies to scale-up. Sam has previously worked across a number of AI policy areas including regulation, safety, data governance, and compute. Prior to joining the UK civil service, Sam worked for the New Zealand Government on data policy and also worked in higher education in the UK. During the Covid pandemic, Sam was seconded to the NHS where he worked on contact tracing. Prior to becoming a public servant, Sam was a consultant, supporting clients to address public policy issues and engage effectively with Government.