Inaugural Meeting of U.S.-UK Comprehensive Dialogue on Technology & Data

F.P. Report

WASHINGTON: Senior representatives from the United States and the United Kingdom governments met in Washington, D.C., for the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-UK Comprehensive Dialogue on Technology and Data. The Dialogue was jointly launched by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and UK Secretary of State for the Department of Digital Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) Michelle Donelan in October 2022, building on the commitment of President Biden and then Prime Minister Johnson at the Carbis Bay meeting in 2021.

Four senior U.S. and UK officials led the dialogue: Grant Harris, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce; Nathaniel Fick, Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, U.S. Department of State; Susannah Storey, Director General for Digital and Media Policy, UK DCMS; and Chris Jones, Director, Technology & Analysis Directorate, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The inaugural discussions focused on three work streams: Data; Critical and Emerging Technologies; and Secure and Resilient Digital Infrastructure.

The United States and United Kingdom identified deliverables to address in 2023, including:

Collaborate to facilitate global trusted data flows, including multilateral discussions with the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum.

Finalize and implement a data bridge for U.S.-UK data flows.

Promote open, interoperable, reliable, and secure telecommunication systems, such as open radio access networks (Open RAN), and work to ensure a complementary and cooperative approach to telecommunications R&D.

Hold roundtable discussions on next-generation license exempt technologies in the 6 GHz band.

Champion the new OECD Global Forum on Technology in support of our shared ambition to build a wider community of partners committed to ensuring technology is designed, developed, and deployed, in a way that reflects our values.

Identify opportunities for cooperation between the UK and the U.S. semiconductor industry on skills, investments and R&D.

Strengthen UK-U.S. collaboration on AI technical standards development and tools for trustworthy AI – including through joint research and information sharing, and support for commercial cooperation.

The four senior U.S. and UK principals agreed to review progress on a quarterly basis and to identify future areas of cooperation on technology and data. The next formal Dialogue will take place in January 2024.