Romania’s scrapped presidential election was targeted by Russian cyberattacks, misinformation, and propaganda, the country’s parliamentary committee has concluded.

Two weeks ago, the presidential election was annulled after far-right, NATO-sceptic Calin Georgescu secured victory in the first round.

The court reached its decision following the revelation of five declassified documents by the EU and NATO’s top security council, which suggested that election interference may have occurred.

At the time, the court suspected Georgescu benefited from a mass influence operation created to influence the result of the vote, believed to be Russia. Russia has denied these claims.

The FBI, the Officer of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have long since warned that Russia was “the most active threat” for misinformation.

Ahead of this year’s US election, they released this joint statement: “We anticipate Russian actors will release additional manufactured content with these themes through election day and in the days and weeks after polls close.”

Now, the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) has shown more findings allegedly confirming interference to the Romanian parliamentary committee in charge of overseeing it.

“There were cyberattacks meant to influence the fairness of the election, particularly from Russia, to influence the public agenda by using artificial intelligence and aggressive online promotion,” commission chief Mihai Weber said.

Intelligence agencies reported that around 85,000 attempted hacks were made to access electoral data and change content, including on election day.

“There were [also] misinformation and propaganda campaigns to support Eurosceptic candidates, who were favoured compared with other competitors,” Weber added.

Separately, the EU has also launched an investigation into TikTok for allegedly failing to curb Romanian election interference.

Romanian intelligence reports indicate that Georgescu’s surge in popularity was driven by a “highly organised” and “guerrilla” social media campaign on the platform, which utilised identical messaging and influencers.

The declassified documents that led to the annulment of the election revealed that paid content promoting Georgescu was shared on TikTok without proper labelling as election-related, breaching both TikTok’s own guidelines and Romania’s electoral laws.

One declassified file highlighted that $381,000 was paid towards TikTok influencers in a single month to promote him on the platform.

At the time, Georgescu denied any knowledge of the influencers or financial backers involved in the campaign.

TikTok said in a statement that it has “protected the integrity” of its platform in over 150 elections around the world and is continuing to address these “industry-wide” challenges.

If the EU finds that TikTok breached its digital rulebook, it could face fines worth up to 6% of its total global revenue and be forced to make changes to fix the problem.

To read more on technology and 2024’s eventful election year, click here.

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A joint statement, issued yesterday by the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said that Russia was “the most active threat” as false stories and videos of election fraud pose a risk of violence.

They cited a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that US officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.

“These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials,” they said.

“We anticipate Russian actors will release additional manufactured content with these themes through election day and in the days and weeks after polls close.”

At the Qualys Security Conference last month, cyber threat director Ken Dunham spoke of how state adversaries such as Iran, Russia and China were purposefully spreading false facts to divide the country.

“We currently live in an age where nobody knows how to tell the truth,” he said.

“It comes down to creating division, and, if they can, causing a violent outcome,” he said. “They aim to stir the pot.”

Mitigating misinformation

He added that the responsibility of discerning truth from misinformation lies with both individuals and organisations.

“You have to decide what the trusted sources are” he advised, underscoring that critical thinking and media literacy are essential.

According to Dunham, outsider threats will manipulate social media to exploit emotions and biases, “and people will react immediately without fact-checking.”

“During the US elections, for example, they’re primed for it…Growing up, news was reliable, but now social networking sites and blogs have changed that…People now believe even mildly credible information.

“Combine that with AI and deepfakes, and it’s even more believable,” he added.

Dunham’s advice is to distrust any information as soon as it’s read and to cross-check.

“It’s a bit more effort, but it’s necessary.”

Dunham explained that to keep on top of not only misinformation but outsider cyber threats, Qualys keeps its employees up to date on relevant risks.

“We derisk and then we publish an internal blog for employees to read to keep everyone informed,” he said.

“We’re blogging now as a way to say: here’s the stuff you need to care about for nation-state, crime, elections, and common threats that rise up during this time of instability.”

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The election sees former Republican President Donald Trump take on Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris, with polls due to close on Tuesday evening — some votes have already been cast.

Amidst the tension, the technology sector braces itself for policies that could reshape its future.

A recent EY survey highlights that 74% of tech industry leaders believe the election results will significantly impact the industry’s ability to compete globally, with AI, cybersecurity, trade policies, and regulatory frameworks among the areas under scrutiny.

Additionally, concerns over AI-driven disinformation, including deepfakes used for voter manipulation, have escalated, underscoring technology’s critical role in both the campaign and electoral process.

As the world eagerly anticipates the election outcome, TechInformed analyses the candidates’ interests in ten key technology areas:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation

2. Cybersecurity

3. Big Tech and Antitrust Actions

4. Data Privacy and Consumer Protection

5. US-China Tech Relations

6. Semiconductors and Chips

7. Military Technology

8. Telecommunications

9. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

10. Emerging Technology

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From generative AI (GenAI) creating deepfakes of political figures to suggestions of AI-driven surveillance at ballot boxes, concern about the potential for AI to disrupt the democratic process is deepening.

Election officials, cybersecurity experts, and tech leaders are rigorously raising the alarm about the sophistication of AI’s threats to election integrity, voter privacy, and public trust in democratic institutions.

Evolution of AI: from tool to threat

“We did have AI during the last election, but it wasn’t as sophisticated as it is today. Advances in AI, such as generative AI or deepfakes, have evolved from mere misinformation into sophisticated tools of deception,” says Dr Srinivas Mukkamala, chief product officer at Ivanti.

“AI has made it increasingly challenging to distinguish between genuine and fabricated information,” Mukkamala adds.

A recent study by Ivanti, an IT security and systems management company, revealed that 54% of office workers were unaware that AI can impersonate anyone’s voice.

“This statistic is concerning,” says Mukkamala, “considering these individuals will be participating in the upcoming election. We cannot risk critical decisions being influenced by disinformation.”

Paul Teather, CEO of the AI-powered market intelligence platform Amplyfi, elaborates on this, explaining how GenAI has “democratised” the ability to create fake content, as it has become easier and requires less skill to pull off.

“There have already been numerous examples of this, including some by candidates and their campaigns, e.g. Taylor Swift endorsing Trump.

Read more: Trump and Musk rank as the most deepfaked figures ahead of the 2024 US election

“People no longer need a photography studio to create near-flawless images based just on their ideas,” Teather continues, adding that this has led to a proliferation of AI-generated disinformation.

“This increases both the tolerance of GenAI (it is seen as normal, rather than evil) and better recognition of it (people checking GenAI images’ hands for errors).”

He continues that while voters are improving at recognising telltale signs of AI manipulation, the sheer volume of disinformation has become overwhelming.

AI-driven misinformation and the weaponisation of disinformation

According to Simon Horswell, senior fraud specialist at Onfido, this proliferation of fake content is evidenced by a 3000% increase in deepfake attempts in 2023.

“We’re seeing a real, concerning uptick of fraudsters using deepfakes to trick businesses and mislead consumers,” he says.

This explosion of AI-driven fake content is creating new avenues for voter manipulation; Horswell adds: “Deepfakes have become a vector to produce fraud at scale.”

With AI-generated videos and articles becoming increasingly convincing, fraudsters and political actors alike can use these technologies to spread disinformation at an unprecedented scale.

Dr Ilia Kolochenko, CEO of ImmuniWeb, emphasises that AI can create millions of “malicious brainwashing messages”, which can be disseminated across social media platforms, further amplifying these efforts.

This trend might be particularly concerning in the context of the US election, where small margins can tip swing states.

These AI-generated narratives have the potential to significantly alter voter perceptions, especially in an environment where social media algorithms prioritise engagement over accuracy, according to Amplyfi CEO Paul Teather.

With elections incoming, deepfakes are just the tip of the iceberg

AI-driven surveillance and the erosion of privacy

Beyond disinformation, True the Vote, a group known for election denialism, is threatening the use of AI-driven cameras to monitor ballot drop boxes across various states.

This initiative, which has been dubbed a ballot box “surveillance reality show,” aims to live-stream footage of voters in the name of transparency.

However, local officials warn that this type of surveillance could lead to voter intimidation, particularly among marginalised communities, and raise serious privacy concerns.

Paul Bischoff, consumer privacy advocate at Comparitech, argues that “the problem with the conspiracy group monitoring ballot boxes is not the use of AI, but the camera surveillance itself.”

He notes that some voters might choose not to vote if they know they’re being watched.

The ethical implications of AI surveillance go beyond privacy concerns; they also call into question the fairness and integrity of the electoral process.

Chris Hauk, consumer privacy advocate at Pixel Privacy, expresses concern over conspiracy groups’ potential use of AI.

“While AI will certainly be used as a weapon during the election season, I believe it will likely be limited to using deepfake videos, photos, and audio to push voters in the direction the fakers are promoting. We’ve already seen AI-generated videos on the internet that paint both US presidential candidates in an unfavourable light.

Evidence that deepfakes can swing the vote is still lacking

“It’s unclear what ‘AI-driven’ video monitoring will involve, but statements like these from groups like True the Vote could simply be an attempt to scare some voters from voting,” Hauk explains. “We may see similar attempts by both sides as they work to tailor the vote total to their needs.”

Is AI also the solution?

While using AI for nefarious ends is problematic, it may also be part of the solution. Simon Horswell describes an “AI vs AI” battle, where advanced AI systems are trained to detect and combat deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation.

AI’s ability to learn and adapt continuously is one of its key strengths. That’s why training on large datasets of both real and fake media is needed to provide advanced protection without impacting the user experience, Horswell argues.

“Companies can train AI algorithms to recognise the subtle differences between authentic and synthetic images or videos, which are often imperceptible to the human eye,” he explains.

Biometric AI-powered tools are already being used to verify the authenticity of images, voices, and fingerprints, offering a defence against the surge in AI-generated fraud.

“AI can automate the verification process and run comprehensive checks based on an individual’s unique physical characteristics, such as facial features, voice or fingerprints.

“AI powers liveness checks, whereby the algorithm checks for facial movements, skin textures and micro-movements, and seeks to identify abnormalities such as unnatural blinking patterns or lip movements found in deepfakes,” Horswell outlines.

Similarly, Lewis Duke from Trend Micro advocates using AI-powered detection tools to combat deepfakes and misinformation.

“Detecting and combating AI-generated disinformation presents several challenges, but automated detection tools can identify discrepancies in content that humans often miss,” he says.

Duke notes that combined with public education efforts to promote critical thinking and fact-checking, these tools could provide a robust defence against AI-driven disinformation in the election cycle.

AI innovation vs voter privacy

Rob Shavell, co-founder and CEO of DeleteMe, points out that the availability of personal data online makes voters, particularly those in marginalised communities, more vulnerable to targeted disinformation campaigns.

Shavell explains that the primary methods by which personal information is utilised to disrupt voting processes can be categorised into two groups.

“Targeted misinformation, such as “spoofed official statements changing location or date of voter’s specific polling places,” which we have seen examples of in both current and previous election cycles.”

These deceptive tactics could be distributed through robocalls, text messages, and viral social media campaigns.

“And using elections as an opportunity for fraud: these tend to be similar spoofed campaigns claiming to be either aiding in voter registration efforts or soliciting donations on behalf of some local candidate.”

These fraudulent activities are directed at specific groups, such as seniors, immigrants, and minority communities with limited knowledge of formal voter registration procedures.

“What has changed in the era of widely available personal data is the ability to micro-target specific audiences — particularly minorities and other at-risk groups — in a way that was previously more labour-intensive,” he adds.

“But there are few federal laws protecting people’s personal information in the United States. Passing a National Privacy Law, like the ADDPA proposed in previous years, would go a long way to ensuring that the US can mitigate personal information risks associated with AI,” Shavell concludes.

Securing elections in the age of AI

According to Amplyfi’s Teather, misinformation has always been indistinguishable from facts, but GenAI could tip the scales in ways we haven’t yet fully grasped.

To combat this, experts like Chris Black, AI evangelist at Vizrt, suggest using technologies like C2PA standards, which track the authenticity of media content through encrypted metadata, ensuring content credibility and transparency in election reporting.

“Governments and tech developers are taking greater steps to combat emerging threats and safeguard democratic integrity,” he says.

“However, at the same time, some governments have deployed facial recognition technology to profile individuals based on ethnicity, enabling tracking and detention. On a smaller scale, individuals equipped with consumer AI tools are exposing privacy vulnerabilities,” he adds.

Read more: United fakes of America

“Harvard students have shown how smart glasses (like Meta Raybans) can access personal information with just a glance, exemplifying how these tools can be misused.”

However, some steps can be taken to improve democracy in the future.

Dave Merkel, CEO of Expel, stresses that no company or government entity should consider itself immune to attack and that cybersecurity and vigilance are essential to protecting democratic institutions.

“Adversaries are already looking for ways to orchestrate attacks that shift opinions,” Merkel says, emphasising the need for robust cyber defences to safeguard election infrastructure.

Moving forward, Teather envisions a future where voters can rely on AI advisors to help them navigate the overwhelming flood of information they receive daily.

He explains that these AI systems would act as personal assistants, helping individuals filter out disinformation and make more informed decisions.

But this vision requires a combination of technology, regulation, and education. AI tools must be integrated with blockchain and decentralised platforms to ensure content authenticity.

At the same time, he adds, governments and tech companies must invest in media literacy programs to help voters become more critical of the information they consume.

So, what is the fate of the US election?

Dr Ilia Kolochenko summarises: “Social networks and other online platforms will probably play a huge role in the upcoming US elections.

“If cybercriminals manage to outsmart moderation and content filtering mechanisms, we can expect a real and serious interference with the US elections and unprecedented threat to the democracy.”

Rob Shavell predicts: “Everyone is concerned about protecting voters on election day, and many localities are setting up barbed wire and bulletproof glass to enhance security. Unfortunately, most of the real damage will occur before voters even get to the polls.”

Dr Srinivas Mukkamala concludes: “When all is said and done, though, scepticism is the best defence against deepfakes. It is essential to avoid taking information at face value and critically evaluate its authenticity.”

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The study tracked deepfake video requests using a popular text-to-video AI tool. It found that 64% of the deepfaked videos of the top ten most deepfaked figures were of politicians and business leaders.

Donald Trump, the former president and current Republican candidate, topped the list with 12,384 deepfake videos. He was followed closely by CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) Elon Musk, with over 9500 deepfakes.

Current US President Joe Biden and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also made the top ten.

The threat of deepfakes to democracy

The prominence of Musk and Trump as deepfake targets underscores the growing risk this technology poses to business leaders and politicians alike, particularly with the 2024 US election just around the corner.

Eric Lu, co-founder of Kapwing, who conducted the study, says: “Our goal with this study is to bring hard data to the conversation about the potential dangers surrounding deepfake technology.”

According to Lu, deepfakes could be weaponised to spread misinformation, influence public opinion, or even deceive voters.

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Speaking to gathered lawmakers in the House of Lords, the British monarch promised to deliver a new AI Bill. However, the speech failed to add further detail to Labour’s manifesto pledge to “support the development of the AI sector through an industrial strategy”.

This lack of new information might suggest that the legislation is still formative. Industry leaders and AI experts offered their opinions on the matter to TechInformed.

Dominic Trott, director of strategy and alliances at Orange Cyberdefense, emphasised the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures in AI regulation. He also highlighted the increasing threat of cyber-attacks on essential services and called for regulations that expand the protection of supply chains.

“Over the past year, we have seen a series of attacks on organisations that provide critical services to the UK. According to our own data, there were 69 cyber extortion attacks on healthcare businesses during Q1 of this year, more than 100% from Q1 in 2023. Organisations must optimise access to skills, adopt appropriate processes, and make the right use of technology to achieve cyber resilience.”

Balancing Act

However, Michal Szymczak, head of AI strategy at Zartis, noted that Labour’s pledge signals a shift towards more stringent AI regulation, aligning the UK more closely with the EU’s AI Act, possibly to its detriment.

“Are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater here? The new government’s approach to AI regulation will be a heavier hand — maybe too heavy.

“It appears intent on aligning the UK’s approach to AI intervention more closely with the EU’s AI Act. Given how rushed this bill was, the wisdom behind any attempts at this parity is questionable at best.”

He also cautioned against overly harsh regulations that could stifle innovation, especially for startups — a sentiment echoed by Paul Henninger, head of connected technology at KPMG UK.

Henninger said: “It’s vital that businesses retain enough freedom to experiment and develop innovative new ways to use AI without fear of doing something unknowingly illicit. This balance is achievable only if industry is consulted and nuances between different sectors are considered.”

Bukki Adedapo, Fiverr’s international expansion lead, reiterated the importance of balanced regulation that doesn’t hinder innovation: “A new AI Bill must ensure that any new guardrails are not so stringent that they stifle innovation.”

He added that AI skills are increasingly driving hiring trends in the UK; “80% of UK businesses are saying they will offer higher salaries for AI skills in their drive to capitalise on the technology,” she said.

He stressed that the Government’s new AI bill, only briefly mentioned in the King’s speech, “must ensure a balance between safety and transparency, with AI’s clear potential and opportunity.”

Knowledge gap

Arun Kumar, UK regional director of ManageEngine, shares those sentiments and adds by acknowledging the current knowledge gap among IT professionals regarding GenAI technologies.

“Our recent research showed 45% of IT professionals only have a basic understanding of GenAI technologies, and most don’t have governance frameworks in place for AI implementation,” he said.

Kumar suggested that new regulations could help bridge this gap, enabling businesses to leverage AI for growth while maintaining safety and ethical standards.

Daniel Pell, VP and country manager of UK&I at Workday, also mentioned that developing and implementing responsible AI technology is critical for economic growth and productivity.

He also emphasised the need to overcome the trust barrier for successful AI adoption and pointed out that most UK employees and leaders are concerned about AI trust.

“93% of both UK employees and leaders have concerns relating to trust in AI today. Overcoming this is critical, as AI can only reach its full potential if it is responsible, trusted and aligned to business outcomes,” he said.

He concluded by calling on the government to utilise AI efficiently to leverage a potential productivity boost of £119 billion, “At a time when the UK has struggled to make meaningful productivity growth for a decade and a half, we must do all we can to develop and implement the responsible AI technology that can unlock this productivity windfall.”

With the King’s speech done and dusted, stay updated with TechInformed’s ‘Year of Elections’ coverage by visiting our dedicated hub of election content.

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TechInformed has previously covered exactly what the winning manifesto mentioned about tech. But can Keir Starmer’s government bring a wave of innovation and support to these critical areas and position the UK as a global leader in technology and sustainability?

We collected insights from industry leaders to find out what they think.

HealthTech

Increased funding, supportive regulations, and encouragement for HealthTech startups will keep the UK competitive and attractive, fostering investment and innovation in the sector, say voices from the sector.

“The biggest challenge our startup landscape is facing is the exodus of businesses from the UK to the US, with 24% of UK HealthTech SMEs preferring to launch in the US rather than the UK.

“Silicon Valley’s allure is in part due to the funding available — US financial schemes through agencies such as DARPA and NASA have been instrumental in its growth. However, we don’t just need more money from the Government but also from investors.

“Despite the UK seeing the third-most HealthTech investment globally, the US is seen as a markedly more attractive market for startups. In addition to funding, this is because of a more supportive regulatory environment — 46% of HealthTech companies have removed products from the UK market due to regulatory uncertainty.

“HealthTech today in the UK is comparable to Fintech over a decade ago, and regulations such as Open Banking and a regulatory sandbox facilitated the UK’s becoming a world leader in Fintech.

“This is something the government has not yet addressed, and, with Labour’s calls for a more digital, interconnected NHS, they will need to look at regulations that facilitate competition, collaboration, and interoperability to accelerate the UK’s economy and create a more favourable environment for startups.”

Santosh Sahu, CEO & founder, Charac

GreenTech

Across the sustainability space, while there is support for Labour’s pledge to decarbonise the power system by 2030, there is a collective desire for urgent, comprehensive, and sustained actions in various sectors to achieve net zero goals while addressing economic and social needs.

Industry leaders address the importance of a regulatory body for carbon accounting, shared concerns over releasing lower-grade green belt land for development, developing a national, affordable energy infrastructure, and innovative urban planning that integrates natural landscapes.

“We need to see the Labour Government take clear, tangible steps to demonstrate its recognition of net zero as the greatest commercial opportunity of our time. There is a lot to do in little time, so prioritisation is key. Importantly, the new government must resist the urge to end and alter existing processes and departments established by the previous Conservative Government that work or showed promise.

“However, there are areas which the Labour Government does need to change. For a start, they must deliver on their manifesto pledge to reverse the damaging policies the previous Government placed, for example, restricting the Bank of England from considering climate change in its mandates.

“Establishing Great British Energy grabs headlines, but equally important are improvements that reduce the red tape and planning restrictions surrounding building green energy infrastructure such as offshore wind farms and electric car charging terminals, reducing grid connection waiting times.

“And then there is data. If businesses are to create accurate and realistic net zero plans, they need access to vital data like energy, water, and waste usage. Currently, this type of data is often held by commercial landlords, who are under no obligation to share it with their tenants.

“In the longer term, the Labour Government needs to create a regulatory body for carbon accounting. Just as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates the financial sector, we need an overarching governing body for carbon accounting to ensure consistency, provide guidance, and hold organisations accountable if we are to reach net zero by 2050.”

Andrew Griffiths, director of policy & corporate development, Planet Mark

Economy & Tax

Labour is urged to support the tech sector by promoting London as a global hub, fostering regional tech growth, and attracting international tech companies. Concerns include potential capital gains tax increases, but optimism exists for Labour’s promises on tech investment and R&D.

Taxwise, there’s also a call for Labour to invest in HMRC skills to improve customer service and clarify anti-avoidance rules to protect innocent taxpayers.

“Tech has been recognised as a core pillar of the economy, so for Labour to instil real change for the sector, it needs to first, reaffirm London as a global tech and fintech hub. Promote foreign investment, address local skill gaps and ensure the capital will comfortably remain Europe’s capital for tech innovation.

“Second, look beyond London to support innovation happening across the country and ensure these companies can effectively scale up. Use the tech sector to lead on regional regeneration, particularly in the North. Manchester and Leeds have a thriving community of tech businesses. Any attempt to tap into the potential of the North must involve tech.

“Third, attract international tech companies to set up in the UK, whether for investment, product launches or a general expansion. There is significant interest in the UK from fintechs across Europe, the US, MENA, and Asia — this must be capitalised on.”

Rhys Merrett, head of tech PR, The PHA Group 

“All political parties have promised to make the UK a tech powerhouse, yet the last few years have presented tech founders with serious challenges — an uncertain economic environment has hampered M&A activity, and an increasingly tough narrative on immigration has made it all but impossible to recruit the best overseas talent.

“Concerns surrounding a possible increase to capital gains tax by the Labour government are worrying, but we believe tech founders will welcome the new Labour government.

“It has made strong promises to commit significant investment in clean and environmental tech, it is offering clarity around R&D, and to leave corporation tax and personal taxes unchanged. And it is promising a commitment to securing solid trade deals in key service sectors.”

Simon Wax, partner, Tech & Media at Buzzacott

“The HMRC customer service crisis is going to need proper investment to fix, and both the two main parties have overlooked that in their manifestos. Phone calls to HMRC now take an average of 23 minutes to answer — taxpayers deserve better.

“There remains huge uncertainty over whether making tax digital will happen. The new Government should make a clear statement on this so the tax industry and the self-employed can properly plan.”

Andrew Snowdon, chairman, UHY National Tax Group

Startups

Despite having more “unicorn” startups than Germany, France, and Sweden combined, UK scale-ups struggle to secure investment, and many entrepreneurs move overseas once they reach a certain size. There are calls for Labour to develop innovative funding solutions to retain and support high-growth tech startups.

“One of the biggest frustrations for ambitious, pioneering tech start-ups that we work with is securing the necessary investment to scale. Time and again, we see tech entrepreneurs growing their businesses to a certain size only to struggle to get the investment they need to fuel the next stage of their growth; all too often, they end up taking their business overseas to secure its future.

“In 2022, the UK was only the third country in the world to have a tech sector valued at $1 trillion, with more ‘unicorn’ billion-dollar tech startups being created than Germany, France and Sweden combined. Tech visionaries and entrepreneurs are vital to our country’s future success—not just in revenue terms but also in enabling us to keep ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.

“We’re calling on Keir Starmer and the new Labour government to find imaginative solutions to the funding challenges that rapid-growth tech startups face, so their drive, vision, expertise and wealth creation stay in the UK.”

Rob Borley, CEO, Dootrix

Productivity

It is suggested that investing in infrastructure and industrial strategies can drive economic growth and that addressing inefficiencies in businesses could accelerate digital transformation and increase productivity to achieve economic goals.

“The new Government needs to focus more immediately on removing inefficiencies within UK businesses, which are weighing down both the private and public sectors.

“Process Intelligence can make this a reality, providing organisations with data-based methods of generating positive impact at the top, the bottom, and the green line.

“Delivering fast growth is tough, but in the meantime, businesses can become leaner and more agile, gaining maximum value within their current processes. This allows greater efficiency, increases productivity, and accelerates digital transformation — all of which will help Labour in achieving its economic goals.”

Rupal Karia, country leader UK&I, Celonis

For more tech-oriented coverage of elections around the world, check out our dedicated hub to the Year or Elections.

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The Labour Party’s manifesto mentioned ‘technology’ and ‘innovation’ more frequently than any other party, suggesting that these will be central to the government’s efforts to enhance public services, boost productivity, and revitalise the UK economy.

We’ve previously discussed the promises made in the Labour manifesto as they pertain to technology in various sectors. But what are the perspectives of industry leaders on the future of UK tech policy and its potential impact on businesses?

TechInformed has gathered insights from Cybersecurity, AI, and Open-Source leaders to provide a comprehensive view of the industry’s positions.

Cybersecurity & Online Safety

The election has been criticised for neglecting cybersecurity, with the industry urging the new government to prioritise cybersecurity through strong legislation, proactive strategies, and securing critical infrastructure. There are also calls to swiftly implement and enforce the Online Safety Act to protect individuals and balance digital protections with free expression and privacy rights. 

“With recent high-profile attacks on the NHS and MoD highlighting critical gaps in national security, the new leaders must play their part in ensuring that cybersecurity is a boardroom priority in all organisations with accountable outcomes, given that the UK is at high risk of a “catastrophic ransomware attack.

“Cyber security efforts have remained stagnant even as threats rise, with 43 legacy systems at critical risk levels this year alone. The new government must take decisive action and hold all businesses accountable for improving the UK’s level of cyber preparedness through more robust and comprehensive legislation that ensures cyber security is taken more seriously.

“Government must advocate for building cyber resilience through proactive strategies, secure-by-design principles, and visibility into everything that is coming in and out of an organisation, including encrypted data. They must also lead by example, taking steps to secure the public sector itself, especially critical national infrastructure, as the traditional IT and security strategies underpinning these organisations are no longer sufficient for the extent of today’s sophisticated threats.”

Mark Coates, VP EMEA, Gigamon

“Details from the Labour Party have been minimal. However, what we do know from their manifesto is that they recognise the threat to our safety and security. They specifically call out the growing emergence of hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns which seek to subvert our democracy.

“Labour proposes to tackle this by conducting a Strategic Defence Review. This will happen within Labour’s first year in government, and their manifesto states that it will set out the path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence.

“I urge Sir Keir and the Labour Party to speak with a broad spectrum of people across the cyber security industry, including those at the front line of law enforcement activities. The reality of the problems and the needs of the UK must be seen and addressed in this review.”

Adam Pilton, Cybersecurity  consultant, CyberSmart

“For all the election noise, cyber security was absent. In a way, this is understandable; there are many other social and economic issues to focus on when trying to woo voters. But as the dust settles on this election, continuing to overlook cyber security would be a grave mistake.

“The electoral commission: hacked. NHS hospitals: hacked. Countless UK businesses: hacked. How many attacks are too many? With Labour coming into power for the first time in 14 years, a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the UK’s cyber defences is urgently needed.

“The EU is implementing the NIS2 directive. Why does the UK lag in securing its digital infrastructure? It’s time for the government to wake up, smell the coffee and develop a plan to change this.”

 Al Lakhani, CEO, IDEE

“With the appointment of Peter Kyle as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, it’s a vital time for Labour to reaffirm its commitment to online safety. The Online Safety Act, which Labour supported, has enabled the UK to lead the world in this space and set the direction for online platforms to make concrete changes that keep people safe.

“The new government must ensure that the Act is not only implemented swiftly but also enforced robustly to hold tech companies accountable. Keeping up the pace here will be crucial to tackling some of our biggest societal problems, such as protecting children and other vulnerable people from age-inappropriate, harmful, and illegal content. Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and fast-developing AI-generated harms like deepfakes and nonconsensual explicit content also demand urgent attention.

“While the focus is often on ‘Big Social’ regarding online safety in the media, we hope to see more focus on other user-to-user platforms, including video games, chat apps, and streaming services. Platforms must be held responsible for the content posted by their users to create safer online communities.”

Andy Lulham, COO, VerifyMy

Open Source

According to leaders in the field, the critical role of open-source technology in driving economic growth, enhancing public sector efficiency, and maintaining technological leadership calls for strategic government support and investment.

“Change must not only start now but must be digital. Only a fundamental shift in our digital policies and practices can impact the lives of every individual across the UK.

“This can be made possible by leading with digital funding the development of the right skills in open-source software. Leveraging a globally visible living CV created by open-source contribution will offer individuals who can currently code but have no employment experience the opportunity to be employed by global tech companies and hired as home workers with a proven track record of contribution.

“We should remember that these are employers who recruit based on skills, not location. In this way rurally based individuals can have international jobs, stemming talent flight, injecting international salaries into the UK economy whilst building our future tech sector.

“With 96% of software codebases having open-source software dependencies today, the public sector must learn how to manage open-source properly. Only this change allows interoperability that can open data flows between systems, unlock efficiency, and break patient and practitioner frustration in the NHS. Our new government owes the NHS this change.”

Amanda Brock, CEO, OpenUK

AI & Regulation

Leaders in the AI space stress the need for AI openness to prevent centralised control, urging the new government to learn from past technological developments. They emphasise tech investment, calling for the appointment of  Chief AI Officers in government departments and creating an AI fund to foster public-private innovation while ensuring privacy through synthetic data.

Industry-specific regulations, especially for healthcare and pharmaceuticals, are highlighted, alongside the need for a dedicated office to ensure diverse policy input. There’s also a strong call for robust AI processes to mitigate risks, ethical AI use, transparent policies, and continuous compliance to protect data and maintain public trust.

“AI will have an impact in the coming months and years like the internet in the last 20. But this time, everyone knows how the game plays out. We know the risk today is that AI ends up controlled by the hands of a few.

“This time, our new leaders must learn from the recent past. History will not be forgiving if they do not. To protect the UK’s AI leadership, Labour must look to open AI wherever possible. But it must do this with a considered understanding of what that means to open each component that makes up, from models to data, and what it means to be partially or fully open.

“It’s complex, yes, but we expect our leaders to be able to understand complex tasks and to cut through the distraction of the noise created by those who can shout loudest. The biggest risk the UK faces from AI today is that our leaders fail to learn the lessons of the last 20 years of tech and do not enable AI openness. Only Labour can bring this change.”

Amanda Brock, CEO, OpenUK

“It is crucial the new government places an emphasis on tech investment, particularly around AI, which will be paramount to streamlining services and enhancing citizens’ lives.

“We expect to see Chief AI Officers hired across government departments to ensure AI underlines the priorities in all the parties’ manifestos, while a foundational data strategy with governance at its core will help meet AI goals.

“An AI fund can also help promote public-private innovations and enable the commercialisation of data and assets globally through synthetic data. This approach would offer a unique opportunity to unlock value from data whilst maintaining robust privacy protections, as synthetic data can mimic real-world information without exposing sensitive personal details.

“Regarding AI regulation, it would be beneficial to establish industry-specific rules, with particular attention paid to sectors like healthcare and pharmaceuticals and their unique needs. For the pharmaceutical industry, in particular, there needs to be more robust agreements established on the use of medical data, with internal investment to manage and protect this data. This could include shared profits or IP rights provisions when companies benefit from UK resources.

“A dedicated office to oversee these initiatives would help to ensure that diverse voices are heard in shaping data and AI policies. These steps will be crucial for the new government to support data-driven industries and ensure they can capitalise on AI, thus positioning the UK as a global innovation powerhouse whilst ensuring sustainable growth and protecting national interests.”

James Hall, VP & country manager UK&I, Snowflake

“Labour’s promise to introduce “binding regulation” for AI safety will create ripple effects across the UK private and public sectors. And while stricter regulation for major AI firms is planned, organisations leaning on these emerging technologies will have to scrutinise their AI strategy here and now.

“With Labour’s wider review on the misuse of AI for harmful purposes, companies need to telegraph they are mitigating risk with AI. Both ‘good AI’ and ‘bad AI’ exist, and combatting threats from bad AI is critical in an increasing risk environment, as over half (59%) of IT leaders say that customer-impacting incidents have increased, growing by an average of 43% in the last 12 months.

“In light of regulation pressures and mounting risk factors, companies need to establish watertight AI processes and mechanisms to ensure the ethical use of AI; how are external AI threats being tackled? How are internal hygiene processes with AI protecting customers? CIOs and DPOs face a big set of tasks involving sticking close to regulators, sharing rigorous policy documentation publicly, and implementing clear and transparent network policies on data collection and information security.

“Compliance is a 24/7 job, and dropping the ball on this, with regards to areas like data protection, could result in hefty fines and loss of trust.”

Eduardo Crespo, VP EMEA, PagerDuty

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The post Labour’s next steps: Cyber security, AI, & Open-Source industry leaders weigh in appeared first on TechInformed.

At the time of writing, the results indicate that Labour will secure at least 412 seats in the new Parliament, while Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives have lost hundreds. Sunak has already conceded defeat in the election.

With Starmer set to take the reins of power today, TechInformed looks at the tech policies promised by the winning Labour Party in its manifesto, released in the run-up to the election.

To read the manifesto pledges from all of the major parties in the run-up to the 2024 UK election, see our 10 Tech Commitments breakdown.

Almost half of Brits would have voted for an AI over Rishi Sunak, according to a survey by AIPRM.

Read more TechInformed coverage of elections around the world pertaining to technology here.

The post Labour wins UK election: top 10 tech manifesto pledges appeared first on TechInformed.