The Scottish Government has laid out their plans to become a world leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical, and inclusive AI in their newly released AI Strategy, complementing the existing UK Government AI Sector Deal and ahead of the forthcoming UK AI Strategy.

With a strong and long-standing AI base across academia and industry, including Glasgow University’s leading role in the Industrial Centre for AI Research in Digital Diagnostics, the new AI strategy builds on the foundations of Scotland’s March 2020 Digital Strategy to set out a three-pronged strategy – focussing on business, healthcare, and the economy – with three key steps to develop Scotland’s AI ecosystem over the next two years and beyond.

With healthcare being one of the fastest-growing markets for AI, Scotland believe that with their global trade links already in place they will be able to become a hub for the sector. A Scottish Life Science AI Investment Ecosystem, with support from the Scottish National Investment Bank - which is already geared towards technological advances in the life sciences - will support access to infrastructure, business capital and supply chains. This ‘ecosystem’ would provide a solid platform through which new data from ‘trusted algorithms’ could be shared and used most effectively across Scotland’s healthcare system.

The Scottish Government’s Health Industry Partnership will put in place the enabling policies and set up a Life Science AI Cluster Working Group to deliver an inception plan by autumn 2021. Not only does the Strategy put the Scottish people’s trust and health at the centre of the Strategy, but it also highlights the potential Scotland will have to be at the forefront of precision medicines and the creation of global AI systems and algorithms for further use across the world.