Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for tech firms must "introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images"
The Home Office has released its plans for what controls would be implemented - we're reading through the details
If big tech firms don't intervene, the government will introduce new legislation requiring this, the PM adds
Elsewhere in his speech, Starmer announces that 450,000 children who receive free school meals will be eligible for AI tutors, part of a plan to equip youth for the future of the workforce
The government has also said it will soon release guidance for parents on managing children's screen use
The Home Office has just released further details on the changes announced by Starmer over device controls preventing children from sending and receiving explicit images.
We're going through the document now - we'll bring you the key details shortly.
Starmer says he will not "pretend to know" what the world will look like in 10 years time but that there will be new technologies and tools we use everyday.
He says the pace of change will not "slow down" but what matters is whether Britain is ready for it.
He adds that the government has "made its choice" to take control of the future, to be ambitious and to make AI work for the whole of the country.
"We choose to build a stronger, fairer Britain," he says, ending his speech.
Image source, PA MediaMoving on from online harm, Starmer turns to young people.
He says they need to be equipped for the future workforce, announcing that AI tutors will be rolled out to 450,000 children on free school meals to close the attainment gap.
He adds that AI is already helping in places, delivering faster diagnoses in the NHS and reducing court backlogs.
The prime minister also announces the government's new AI job tool "to help those out of work find the right jobs, create their CVs and get back into work".
Starmer also says a new strategy will develop sovereign computing capabilities, and the government will commit to purchasing specialist AI chips worth over £400 million.
He says this will provide a "generational opportunity" for Britain's most "promising start ups".
Starmer says while there are exciting developments in tech, he knows there are worries too, including around jobs and child safety.
The pace of change cannot be an excuse for harm and where tech poses a threat to "our people, to our children" the government will act "quickly" and "firmly".
He says earlier in the year X allowed its AI tool, Grok, to create "disgusting" and explicit AI images.
"We took them on," he says, saying other tech companies should know if they fall short on their responsibilities to keep people safe the government will act with the "same decisiveness".
He says that if companies operating in the UK do not introduce device controls to prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images, the law will be changed, he says.
"Standing by is not an option."
Starmer says today he is calling on tech companies operating in the UK to introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images.
"If they choose not to, then we will act, and we will change the law," he says.
Image source, Getty ImagesStarmer continues, and says tech companies need the right conditions to succeed, saying they need the freedom to move fast.
He says the government has simplified regulations, created a global talent task force and unlocked investment for them to do so.
Britain has every reason to be confident, he says, adding "we're on the precipice of something truly extraordinary".
A technology revolution is coming, he says, and the question is "what kind of country we want to be as it unfolds", and whether the UK shapes the change or allows it "to shape us".
Image source, ReutersKeir Starmer begins by saying it's tempting to jump straight to the future when talking about AI and technology - but chooses to talk about what is happening today.
He focuses on Warrington, a town in Cheshire. He says the closure of a long-running soap factory became "a symbol of a community left behind".
But now that factory is being transformed into a new AI data centre, creating new investment, skilled jobs, and opportunities.
"Young people can look at that site and see not what their community used to be but what it can become," he says.
Starmer says stories like this are a glimpse into an "emerging revolution in technology" - which Britain is "uniquely placed" to lead as the third-largest technology economy in the world.
He adds that half of all European investment in tech this year occurs in the UK.
Image source, PA MediaUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has started delivering his speech on the government's latest announcement on tech reforms.
We'll be bringing the latest lines and analysis of his speech and remember you can watch liveat the top of our page.
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith says the government's technology announcements this morning will "help young people actually to be able to benefit from the opportunities that our success in the UK in technology should be able to bring to everyone, not just to a few".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on the new AI tech tool the government has described as a "jobcentre in your pocket", she says that young people who are on universal credit will still have face-to-face consultations.
Pressed on the challenges for businesses who feel they cannot afford to take on young people, Smith stresses that businesses taking on apprentices under the age of 25 do not have to pay any National Insurance and if businesses take on young people under 21 also do not have to pay any National Insurance.
She also outlines job grants for businesses taking on apprentices and people who have been out of work.
Image source, ReutersThe prime minister has vowed to make AI work "for everyone" as he prepares to unveil a new AI tool that will help jobseekers get into work.
The AI assistant will provide 24/7 guidance on topics such as career development and job applications through a "CV builder" feature.
It will be trialled for three months online and officials hope it will serve as a "jobcentre in your pocket" for people seeking employment.
An AI "bootcamp scheme" will also be rolled out across England over the summer to provide resources to those at risk of becoming out of education or training.
It comes as the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows the number of those aged 16-24 not in employment, education or training has risen above one million. You can read more about that here.
Starmer is expected to say "we’re using tech to bring opportunity to every corner of the country – helping people into work, tackling inequalities, boosting skills and building a fairer future".
Image source, Getty ImagesPrime Minister Keir Starmer is set to deliver a speech this morning on tech reforms.
As part of his address, which will take place shortly after 09:00 BST, the prime minister expected to speak about the use of AI, as well as harms associated with technology use.
The speech comes as Starmer vows to make tech work "for everyone, not just the privileged few" as the government announces an AI assistant to help jobseekers in a new trial.
It also comes as the government consults on screen time guidance for families with children. Labour has also been consulting on whether to ban social media for under-16s, as scrutiny of tech companies builds following a world-first ban in Australia in December.
We'll bring you updates from the prime minister's speech, which you can also watch live on the stream at the top of the page.
