AI Opportunities Action Plan
In short
The AI Opportunities Action Plan is the UK government's January 2025 strategy for growing and using AI, written by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford. It sets out 50 actions on computing power, data, skills and public services.
- Also called
- AI Action Plan, Clifford review, Matt Clifford AI plan
- Topic
- Law, policy and the UK
- Level
- Beginner
- First described
- Written by Matt Clifford at the government's request and published by DSIT on 13 January 20251.
The plan was published on 13 January 2025 by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Matt Clifford was commissioned to write it, and it contains 50 numbered recommendations1.
It has three parts: lay the foundations for AI (computing power, data, talent and regulation), push AI use across the public and private sectors using a "Scan > Pilot > Scale" approach, and build home-grown frontier AI companies1.
Some of its best-known proposals are AI Growth Zones to speed up the building of data centres, expanding the government's AI Research Resource "by at least 20x by 2030", a National Data Library of public datasets, and a UK Sovereign AI unit to partner with private firms1. It also called for the copyright rules on text and data mining to become "at least as competitive as the EU"1.
The government published its response the same day. It agreed with most recommendations, partially agreed with two, and launched a consultation instead of a verdict on text and data mining2. It named Culham as the first AI Growth Zone, starting at 100MW2.
In its "One Year On" report of 29 January 2026, the government said it had met its commitments on 38 of the 50 actions3. It reported five AI Growth Zones designated, the Isambard-AI supercomputer launched in Bristol in July 2025, and up to £500 million for the Sovereign AI Unit, while admitting there was more to do, such as moving Growth Zones "from designation to delivery"3.
Example
When the government picks a site such as Culham as an AI Growth Zone to fast-track a large data centre, it is carrying out recommendation 4 of the plan12.
Why it matters
It is the UK's main roadmap for AI investment and public-sector use, so it shapes where data centres are built, what public data AI firms can use and how AI enters services like the NHS.
Questions people ask
Who wrote the AI Opportunities Action Plan?
Matt Clifford, who was commissioned by the government to devise it. It was published on 13 January 20251.
How many recommendations are in the AI Opportunities Action Plan?
Fifty1. By January 2026 the government said it had met its commitments on 38 of them3.
Is the AI Opportunities Action Plan a law?
No. It is a government strategy, not legislation. Some actions need laws or planning changes to deliver, but the plan itself creates no legal duties1.