Scotland's Artificial Intelligence strategy 2026-2031

Foreword

Scotland has helped to shape the modern world. For a small country on the edge of Europe, we have long been at the centre of innovation and new inventions. We have a proud history of leading scientific and technological change and our ideas, nurtured to enlightenment by our leading universities and colleges, have revolutionised whole schools of thought leading to breakthroughs in fields as diverse as philosophy, photography and physics.

It was the intellectual curiosity of pioneers such as Mary Somerville, who helped people understand the sciences in new ways, and John Napier, whose ideas transformed how we work with numbers, rather than the acceptance of orthodoxy, that shaped Scotland’s tradition of discovery. Now, Artificial Intelligence (or AI) presents an opportunity for Scotland to rekindle that pioneering spirit, to lead instead of follow and, by doing so, to harness AI’s potential for responsible, transformative economic growth.

AI is the great disruptor, re-shaping industries through the power of machine learning – but, as Scots, we have always been comfortable on frontiers.

This strategy sets out our ambition to build on Scotland’s unique strengths, delivering tangible benefits for our people, businesses and communities. It shows how government, industry and academia will work together to shape our national response, and to ensure Scotland remains in the vanguard of this new technology in the years ahead.

Our ambition is clear: to secure the benefits of AI for everyone in Scotland. That means boosting our economy, closing the productivity gap and driving innovation while also supporting improvement to our health and education outcomes and increasing the efficiency and quality of our public services.

At the same time, we must recognise the wider risks and uncertainties that come with the rapid evolution of AI. People are rightly concerned about transparency, fairness, the impact on jobs and the accelerating pace of change. These concerns also reinforce the importance of ensuring that Scotland’s people and industries are supported and safeguarded as technology advances.

Scotland’s response is to address these issues openly and responsibly, demonstrating that progress and safeguards can go hand in hand. Above all, our approach to AI must be firmly rooted in our values and guided by the Scottish Government’s commitment to Fair Work.

Scotland’s extraordinary tradition of innovation gives us a strong foundation on which to build. We are ready to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

Kate Forbes MSP

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic

Richard Lochhead MSP

Minister for Business and Employment