​Why AI Delivery Can’t Wait For Tech Sovereignty ​

Innovation​Why AI Delivery Can’t Wait For Tech Sovereignty ​ByTarek Nseir,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 27, 2026, 12:00pm EDTTarek Nseir is co-founder of Valliance and a senior value partner, focused on delivering leading AI time-to-value for clients across Europe. gettyTechnology sovereignty has become a distraction in the ongoing conversation around how the UK can become the AI leader it aspires to be. Progress so far has been slow-going and if enterprises are to grasp the AI opportunity with both hands, they can’t have critical infrastructure held back by questions over where the builders are based. Policymakers are overly focused on who controls critical systems, where they are built and whose values they reflect. These are valid concerns, but waiting for them to be addressed only risks setting businesses further behind competitors in the US and China at a crucial moment in the AI race. The UK’s most consequential decisions on sovereignty were made decades ago. During the rise of cloud computing and large-scale software platforms in the '90s and early 2000s, the country chose integration over ownership. We can’t undo these decisions or let it slow down this next technological revolution. This reality unveils the more immediate challenge afoot: the UK needs to focus on delivering outcomes for businesses with the right tech, now, rather than treating sovereignty as a prerequisite for progress. Where Sovereignty Debates Miss The Point Technology debates are too often framed around which companies should be trusted, rather than how systems should be governed. This framing is unhelpful and it actively slows progress for enterprises looking to actively scale AI in the UK. The NHS’s work with Palantir is a perfect example of where independence is distracting from delivering outcomes. Addressing re...