Scotland’s AI Strategy 2026–2031: Governing AI for Growth

Article by Kateryna Kernoz, Attorney-at-Law (Ukraine), LL.M. in Technology and AI Law (United Kingdom), Associate Member, Legal Committee, AIEI International Association

Artificial intelligence is increasingly viewed by governments as a tool for economic growth, productivity and competitiveness. The Scottish Government’s AI Strategy 2026–2031, published on 20 March 2026, reflects this shift by positioning AI as a driver of economic transformation and public service reform.

The strategy is organised around an “AI Stack” comprising eight interconnected layers: Users; AI Adoption & Skills; Companies & Products; Innovation Research & Development; Data Centres & Infrastructure; Semiconductors; Data; and Regulation. This model sets out where coordinated action is required to deliver the strategy’s core purpose of responsible economic growth.

Compared with Scotland’s 2021 AI Strategy, which emphasised trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI and introduced the Scottish AI Alliance, the new framework focuses more explicitly on delivery across adoption, infrastructure, data and regulation. It highlights that 61.9% of Scottish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) surveyed reported not using AI technologies and proposes a renewed national AI adoption programme, a pilot AI Leadership Academy for leaders of Scottish SMEs and a standardised AI readiness tool. 

A further operational element of the strategy is the creation of AI Scotland, a national delivery programme designed to coordinate implementation across government, industry and academia. The programme will oversee key initiatives, including the expansion of the AI Adoption Programme for SMEs and the establishment of an Expert Advisory Board to provide strategic oversight. In addition, the strategy sets out ten priority actions to be delivered by March 2027, ranging from the rollout of adoption support and skills initiatives to the development of innovation programmes and data access mechanisms. This delivery-focused structure reinforces the strategy’s emphasis on measurable progress and coordinated execution across the AI ecosystem.

The strategy also positions responsible AI as part of Scotland’s economic offer. In the “Companies and Products” section, it states that responsible AI innovation should be viewed as a competitive strength and reaffirms alignment with the OECD AI principles. In parallel, it emphasises the role of regulation in supporting confidence and market participation. The strategy states that effective frameworks can provide certainty across the AI stack and build business, investor and public confidence. While regulatory competence largely sits at UK level, it calls for a UK approach that places the OECD’s five values-based principles on a statutory footing and, as part of a review, demonstrates closer alignment with the EU AI Act. This is linked to Scotland’s ability to access international markets and investment.

Alongside business-focused measures, the strategy also sets out objectives for public engagement and skills. By 2031, it aims to achieve widespread AI literacy, ensuring that people understand how AI is used and that young people are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Finally, the strategy highlights the importance of domestic capabilities in data, compute and infrastructure. It identifies data centres and advanced compute as strategically significant, links public-sector data reform to innovation and responsible deployment, and proposes measures to strengthen scale-up support, investor engagement and the commercialisation of research.