Rishi Sunak is giving advice to CEOs on AI. Here are his golden rules

Rishi Sunak is giving advice to CEOs on AI. Here are his golden rules

Rishi Sunak recently spoke at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses U.K. AI for Growth event in Birmingham, March 2026.

In the aftermath of his electoral defeat in the U.K. general election of 2024, many anticipated that Rishi Sunak, a Stanford MBA graduate and former Goldman Sachs analyst, would leave Parliament and pursue high-paying positions in California’s tech sector. Despite his frequent endorsement of that narrative, few were convinced otherwise, particularly given his casual affinity for Silicon Valley's fashion.

Two years later, Sunak has proven his detractors wrong. He remains a Member of Parliament representing a rural area in northern England, where he specializes in the application of AI for dairy farmers. Additionally, while serving as an advisor to Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Anthropic, his focus remains firmly rooted in the U.K. His engagement with the Labour government is ongoing.

"My work with these two tech companies has reinforced my belief, not only in the extent to which AI will transform our lives but also in the rapidity of that transformation," Sunak stated during the Goldman Sachs conference for small businesses held in Birmingham, approximately 100 miles north of London.

"Artificial Intelligence is not merely about economic transformation, important as that is; it holds the potential to uplift humanity universally by granting everyone access to top-tier healthcare and education, regardless of their location. This signifies an extraordinary democratizing force."

Addressing the assembly of chief executives, he underscored that the speed of AI adoption is paramount. “If you are not planning for the era of applied AI within your business, you run the risk of being left behind, sidelined in a ‘K-shaped economy.’”

“My work with the two technology companies has left me even more convinced, not just about how much AI is going to change, but how quickly it’s going to change things, too.”
Rishi Sunak, former U.K. prime minister

Sunak drew parallels between AI and prior transformative technologies. "Much like steam power and electricity, artificial intelligence is a general-purpose technology capable of altering every facet of our economy and society," he explained. "While excitement and speculation often accompany the advent of new technologies, I genuinely believe that it is a conservative estimate to state that AI will yield twice the impact of the Industrial Revolution in half the time."

The subsequent question-and-answer session with business leaders revealed various insights. Many expressed a need for guidance in their roles as CEOs, while others recognized the necessity of empowering their staff to co-create productivity solutions rather than merely issuing directives from above. Concerns about job security were prevalent, often stemming from a lack of understanding rather than data-driven insights. One founder noted the dangers of “false confidence” associated with flashy AI tools.

“It is evident that responsibility for AI cannot solely reside within the IT department," Sunak declared. "It must originate from leadership. Research from McKinsey indicates that when leaders demonstrate ownership and commitment, the deployment of AI within their organizations is significantly more successful. However, this does not necessitate deep technical expertise; what is crucial is awareness and the right mindset."

“When I engage with businesses across the country, the most frequent error I observe is the tendency to prioritize technology over strategy. The correct approach is to first examine your business to identify pain points—tasks causing employee frustration, processes that hinder efficiency, or bottlenecks that restrict growth. This method will help uncover relevant initial AI use cases.”

One session at the Goldman Sachs conference explored the topic of "AI—friend or foe?" The consensus is that it is neither; rather, success hinges on a CEO’s understanding of how AI can facilitate growth and revenue opportunities while preserving the essential human leadership and guidance that distinguishes each organization. If all parties leverage identical AI tools in the same manner, they risk offering homogenized AI solutions, leading to a landscape of mediocrity that no one wishes to inhabit.