A key element of this project is connecting with different disciplines to learn from and integrate the latest in experimental testing and AI training designs. One of the best ways to do this is through conferences, symposia, and workshops.
The unofficial theme for the 2026 conference was,
AI for everyone, everywhere, and everything
At this time, there are 23 data centres between Glasgow and Edinburgh, either completed or in the development stage.
The timing of this conference reflects the precipice Scotland finds itself standing on, with the refreshed Digital Strategy for Scotland (launched in 2025) and the newly published AI Strategy for Scotland (March 2026) making large, expensive, and difficult promises for the future of all who live here. These strategies represent a joint vision from the Scottish Government to build a nation where AI “connects people to opportunities, creates economic growth, and delivers improved public services”.
The tone was set from the opening session. Across the speakers and industry representatives, the greatest focus on Scotland’s AI future is undeniably Economic Growth. The strategies are backed by significant investments and concrete plans. A key theme was the need for robust, secure, and sovereign digital infrastructure. The AI Strategy itself is ambitious, outlining a roadmap to create a globally competitive AI ecosystem with actions ranging from launching a national AI adoption programme to creating an “AI Scale-up Accelerator” and maximising the potential of “AI Growth Zones”.
The Soul-Searching Question: Who are We Building This For?
Human flourishing was often relegated to the proverbial ‘discuss this later’ bin, and trustworthiness wasn’t given the spotlight it deserved. There were sessions dedicated to finding ways to get people to trust AI, but the more profound discussion on how AI will be trustworthy was missing.
Most speakers had vested interests in seeing AI advancements in their sector. The break from such forward-charging perspectives was the keynote speaker, Prof Oliver Escobar, Chair of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation at the University of Edinburgh. In a sea of technical talks about parameters and cloud sovereignty, his message was a vital dose of reality. Prof Escobar urged us to remember that digital transformation isn’t just about technology; it’s about people and democratic legitimacy. That means ensuring digital resources are “owned or governed in the public interest”.
This perspective stands in stark contrast to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology‘s Nov 2025 policy paper, Delivering AI Growth Zones, which ensures the recently passed Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 will,
- update national policy guidance to give strong support to AI data centres
- invest in additional specialist AI data centre planning capacity
- protect land and unblock planning decisions for AI Growth Zones through central government intervention
- further streamline consenting for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs)
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