First Published: Forbes Technology Council, May 2026
In a new article for Forbes, Valliance co-founder Tarek Nseir argues that the UK's pursuit of technology sovereignty is becoming a distraction from what really matters: delivering AI outcomes for businesses, now.
The core tension: policymakers spend too much energy scrutinizing where tech is built rather than establishing governance frameworks to work responsibly with global providers. Tarek uses the NHS-Palantir partnership as a case study—it's delivering critical infrastructure for patient data and wait times precisely because it accepted the reality that only a handful of organizations globally have the capability to execute at that scale.
"A more pragmatic approach accepts current realities while focusing on control through governance."
With just one in six UK companies having adopted AI and OpenAI halting its Stargate data center investment due to regulatory friction, the economic cost of delay is already visible. Tarek's argument: the UK made its sovereignty "choices decades ago" during cloud computing's rise. We can't undo those decisions—and we can't let them slow the next technological revolution.
The path forward isn't choosing between global providers or domestic capability. It's both. Work with US AI firms strategically, under clear governance frameworks that define data access and accountability. Stop waiting for ideal conditions. The enterprises that benefit most from AI will be those that act decisively, accepting constraints while continuing to innovate.
