UK government calls on AI firms to develop autonomous cyber-defence tools amidst rising threats

Security Minister Dan Jarvis has urged leading AI companies to collaborate on advanced cyber-defence systems, as the UK faces a surge in cyber incidents and accelerates its national resilience strategy with increased funding and a new voluntary pledge for enterprise cyber-safety.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis has urged leading artificial intelligence firms to work with the UK government on new cyber-defence tools, arguing that the next phase of national security will depend on autonomous systems able to spot and fix weaknesses faster than human teams can manage. Speaking at CYBERUK on 22 April, he presented AI-enabled defence as a long-term national project rather than a short-term technology trial, with the aim of protecting the country’s most important networks.

The government’s push comes as it says nationally significant incidents dealt with by the National Cyber Security Centre rose sharply in 2025, underlining the pressure on public and private systems from hostile states and criminal groups. Officials want industry to help build capabilities that can detect threats at speed and at scale, as cyber attackers increasingly use automated tools themselves.

Alongside the technology appeal, ministers have confirmed an extra £90 million over three years to strengthen cyber resilience among small and medium-sized businesses through existing Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and NCSC schemes. The funding is intended to widen basic defences across supply chains, a point of particular relevance to defence contractors and subcontractors that depend on meeting tougher security expectations.

The wider policy package also includes a voluntary Cyber Resilience Pledge, championed by Cyber Security Minister Baroness Lloyd. Companies that sign up would be expected to treat cyber security as a board-level issue, join the NCSC’s Early Warning service and require government-backed Cyber Essentials certification across their supply chains. According to the government, Baroness Lloyd has already spoken to the leadership of more than 180 large UK businesses ahead of a formal launch later this year.

The pledge and the AI cyber-defence drive are due to feature in the National Cyber Action Plan, which the government says will be published this summer. Ministers say they have consulted more than 500 organisations while drawing up the plan, as part of a broader cyber-resilience strategy that sits within the National Cyber Strategy and its £2.6 billion commitment to protecting and promoting the UK online.

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Source: Fuse Wire Services