Sadiq Khan has declared London is “busy writing” the future of artificial intelligence, despite acknowledging the “dizzying” risks the technology presents to societies worldwide.
The Mayor of London made the remarks at the opening of SXSW on Monday, arguing the capital is well placed to benefit from rapid growth across the AI sector.
“We face some monumental challenges, from conflict to the climate emergency, from the cost of living to the impacts and opportunities of AI,” Khan told the audience.
“At times, it feels like the obstacles we must overcome are as dizzying as they are dangerous,” he added, setting the tone for his broader address on technology and progress.
His speech came days after Dealroom data showed London had overtaken Paris to reclaim its position as Europe’s top technology ecosystem.
Startups in the capital raised $17.7bn last year, while AI investment almost doubled to reach $7bn across the same period.
Khan said London was “proud to be the Tech capital of Europe and a global leader in AI”, citing companies including DeepMind, Revolut, Synthesia and Isomorphic Labs as evidence of the city’s standing.
“In the first quarter of this year, London-based startups are off to a flying start, pulling in over a third of European equity and over half of all funding in AI,” he said.
London has increasingly become the European base of choice for major US artificial intelligence firms seeking to expand their International presence.
Anthropic recently announced plans to grow its London operations, while OpenAI is establishing a permanent office in the capital as competition for AI talent intensifies across the continent.
The concentration of AI firms around King’s Cross has helped cement London’s position as Europe’s largest startup ecosystem, with the city now home to 138 unicorns, including Wayve, ElevenLabs, Monzo and Revolut.
Khan argued the city’s strength stems from its diversity of thought and background, saying: “The best ideas don’t really come from one group of people with the same background, expertise or experiences. They come from worlds colliding.”
The mayor also used his SXSW platform to contrast London’s values with what he described as rising “authoritarian forces” seeking to drag societies “back into the dark past.”
“Here in London, we’ve got no interest in winding back the clock on progress,” Khan said, drawing a deliberate distinction between London’s outlook and broader global political currents.
“Instead, we’re focused on moving forwards, on looking squarely into the bright face of the future and rushing full speed towards it,” he continued, closing with a call for outward-looking ambition.
Khan’s remarks arrive amid a wider national debate on Britain’s approach to AI regulation and adoption, with former Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney recently arguing democracies must learn to master the technology rather than simply regulate it.
Former prime minister Tony Blair has separately urged ministers to place AI at the centre of the government’s growth agenda, adding political weight to calls for a more proactive national strategy.
“There’s no denying we’re living in turbulent times,” Khan said, “but I just don’t believe we’ll meet this moment by looking inwards.”