CAIO Weeknotes #23
Parliament, AI Growth Zones and prep for NVIDIA's GTC
Monday
Meeting with colleagues at the University of Liverpool to discuss XR in health and social care and the how collaboratively we may be able to work together to resolve some of the governance issues inhibiting adoption through preferred safe medical routes.
Second round of Interviews for our new Project Support Officer (PSO).
172 applicants down to the final high-calibre 4 people.
Dash into the House of Lords in Parliament to give evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on AI for AI Growth Zones.
The APPG for AI informs parliamentarians on key topical aspects of AI. I was thrilled to be able to give evidence as one of five speakers and the only regional representative.
It’s important to be able to have. A voice to share that, despite not having the required 500MW power required to be a UK designated AI Growth Zone, the Liverpool City Region is still contributing to the UK AI agenda.
Here are the recommendations to MPs from my speech:
On Governance of AIGZs
Support the creation of a single governance pack that curates existing regulatory guidance into one place for Growth Zone partners.
Encourage regulatory coordination across sectors — ensuring Ofcom, the ICO, and sector regulators provide aligned expectations for operators.
Support local authorities with clarity — so they can plan confidently and engage investors without navigating a fragmented regulatory map.
On Economic Development
Growth Zones cannot be the only mechanism through which regions contribute to national AI capability.
Parliament should recognise regional AI ecosystems (universities, applied research centres, innovation hubs, and local data infrastructure) as strategic national assets and as contributors to the UK’s AI resilience and economic growth, even where they sit outside AIGZs.
Ensuring that places outside formal designation are still enabled to benefit from cohesive Government support and that future AI infrastructure funding explicitly includes non-AIGZ regions as eligible beneficiaries.
As we refine the Growth Zone model, let’s make sure that ecosystem design is not an afterthought. We should embed expectations around skills pipelines, innovation spaces, university and industry partnerships, and SME scaling support.
These measures are not “nice to haves” — they are essential to ensuring that national investment in AI infrastructure translates into real economic and social value for places like Liverpool City Region.
It was equally interesting to hear from Samantha Wiggins at DSIT whose role it is to designate the AI Growth Zone sites.
I learned from fellow speakers operating data centres on their key considerations and we all dug into open questions by MPs and members.
Huge thanks to GP from LCR Government Relations for being my eyes, ears in the e room to make more connections too.
Up on an early-ish train with 2 changes en route. Booking on pay day for the month ahead means I need to take the affordable and available routes up for the next month and sometimes the direct train and most affordable tickets have been snapped up. Good job I travel light, the trains were in time and City Mapper gives me the interchange platforms.
Straight into a Uni Dissertation Supervision session. The only compulsory part of my MSc in Applied Positive Psychology with just 5 sessions this term and only 3 within working hours which I can many with our flexible working policy. Only 2 months to go.
I’m looking forward to getting my weekends and some evenings back soon.
A quick lunch (thank goodness for Huel) and into final two interviews for our PSO. Followed by a team share on my recommendation with input from the team. A few checks need to be ironed out with our HR colleagues before we appoint.
My annual Check-in with my Director setting the next 12 months objectives and key milestones for me and the team. Need to lay out the next 12 month priorities with milestones and how I plan to evolve the AI rested. More work to have this ship shape but luckily I’ll be on a plane on Saturday where I’ll be able to start plotting it all out to verify when I return.
Hunting down in email my various flights, hotels and meeting invites for next week. Glad to have the enhanced version of Copilot to navigate my inbox.
Kayla, my AI Project Manager and I are privileged to be invited and secure our tickets at NVIDIAs GTC conference in San Jose, California next week. Arguably the best AI conference globally with 250 000 attendees.
Preparation for a short explanation of then opportunities for Quantum computing for Liverpool City Region to our Cabinet Innovation Board. Brilliantly prepared by Jon Whaling but needed to beef up in his good work before I presented in his absence.
Quick meeting with Henry my other AI Project Manager who now runs our AI and Education agenda to lightly steer his work. We talked until the building shutdown warning came on and I scooted to my hotel for an evening dissertation dusting.
Wednesday
Half the day Wednesday on the stakeholder board for a director position helping to evaluate candidates. Just 5 months ago I was on the other side of the table to this.
Straight into Cabinet Innovation Board which had started to give the Quantum m updates: a few key points are:
Back in the train to London. Catching up on essential emails, confirming future speaking opportunities and trying to clear as much of my inbox as am away all next week.
Thursday
Half a day off then, Digital Leaders Forum all pm meeting with the Digital Leaders in our 6 boroughs understanding challenges and progress across all out remits in digital transformation from Digital Connectivity, Digital Services and AI.
The last 90 minutes trying to right that my flight ticket details cannot be identified. Managed to get that sorted for Kayla and I but now behind on final reporting for the week.
Friday
Cross over with our investment team for better understanding of both our working areas.
Live check-in to our flights with Kayla. Hers worked, mine didn’t. More to figure out and rapidly before the seats go.
Meeting with Google and our transport team to look at Smart Ticjeting and other sticky challenges the may be able to help us with.
Dash to the post office for dollars for tips.
Finalising last bio requests and briefing and headed to the trains to Heathrow as we’re out super early on Saturday.
Next week Kayla and will be at Nvidias GTC in San Jose, California. Billed as the Super Bowl of AI.
I can’t promise a weeknote next Saturday as I’ll be in transit all day back but will absolutely do a roundup of our key experiences that may be useful.
Thanks again for tuning in.
We are recruiting!
Please come an join our growing AI Programme Team.
We have a current role for a Junior Project Manager.
Events that I’m attending - coming up - say hi if you are going
16-19 Mar: NVIDIA GTC, San Jose, California
Events that I’m speaking at - coming up
28-29 Apr: The CAIO Blueprint: Embedding AI in Regions Local Government Partnership Network North 2026
29-30 Apr: DTX Manchester
Tiffany St James
Chief AI Officer, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Another cracking read! These Weeknotes are a brilliant way to keep people updated on what a week in the life of a CAIO is like....not that there is such a thing as a 'usual' week, by the sound of it!
Keep them coming!