The former Financial Times editor has warned that Britain must shake off its recent pessimism and embrace artificial intelligence if it wants to regain economic ground lost during the past decade.
Lionel Barber, who led the FT for 15 years until 2020, says the UK needs to become considerably more business-friendly to recover from a string of setbacks that have weakened the corporate sector. Brexit, in particular, was a “massive distraction” that caused the country to fall behind.
His comments come as he joins the advisory board of Capitol AI, a Washington-based firm launching its UK and European operations. The company, founded in 2021 by Shaun Modi and Tom Hallaran, provides a model-agnostic agentic AI platform that helps businesses process their own data into reports, summaries, and documents. Lord Ed Vaizey, the former culture and digital minister, has also been appointed to the board.
Capitol AI has hired former Lockheed Martin and Dell executive Mike Nayler to lead its new UK office, targeting public and private sector clients as it builds out its European presence.
Barber says the UK’s push to become an AI-friendly destination is attracting companies like Capitol AI and deserves continued support. “AI is at the heart of its business,” he said. “AI is coming, whether you like it or not.”
He stressed that backing high-tech entrepreneurs cutting-edge companies like Capitol AI is essential if Britain wants to position itself as a genuine hub for advanced technology businesses. The opportunity exists, he argues — provided the government stops creating unnecessary friction for the corporate sector.