The journal
Every article, by topic
11 articles on sovereign AI, audit, regulation and procurement, grouped by the question they answer. Newest first within each topic. An article can sit under more than one topic.
Sovereign AI
What the term means, and what separates it from private and on-premise deployment.
- What is sovereign AI? A plain-English definition
Sovereign AI means running artificial intelligence entirely under your own control, on infrastructure you own, with nothing forced through an outside provider. Here is what that means in practice, and why regulated organisations are moving toward it.
- Sovereign AI vs on-premise vs private cloud: what is the difference?
They sound similar and vendors use them loosely. Here is the plain distinction, and why it decides whether your data is genuinely under your control.
- Can you run AI completely offline? Air-gapped AI explained
Yes. Modern AI can run with no internet connection at all, on hardware you own. Here is how air-gapped AI works, what it can and cannot do, and who needs it.
- What to ask a sovereign AI vendor: a buyer's checklist
Twelve questions that separate genuine sovereignty from private-cloud marketing. If a vendor cannot answer these plainly, that is your answer.
- Who builds sovereign AI in the UK?
Sovereign AI is a real field with serious participants. Here is how to think about the landscape, and where a British company is pushing past the baseline.
- Can you run private AI on your own hardware without a data centre?
Yes. Useful AI now runs on workstation and server-class hardware a business can own outright. Here is what it takes, and where the limits are.
- What is an AI operating system?
The phrase is new and often loose. Here is a working definition, and how an AI operating system differs from a chatbot bolted onto the tools you already rent.
- Who is Micky Irons? The founder building sovereign AI in Britain
Micky Irons is the founder of Mickai, a British company building a Sovereign Intelligence Operating System. Here is the short version.
Governance and audit
Keeping a verifiable record of what AI systems did, and who is accountable for them.
- What is sovereign AI? A plain-English definition
Sovereign AI means running artificial intelligence entirely under your own control, on infrastructure you own, with nothing forced through an outside provider. Here is what that means in practice, and why regulated organisations are moving toward it.
- Sovereign AI vs on-premise vs private cloud: what is the difference?
They sound similar and vendors use them loosely. Here is the plain distinction, and why it decides whether your data is genuinely under your control.
- What does the EU AI Act require for AI logging and record-keeping?
High-risk AI systems have to keep records of what they did. Here is what the logging and record-keeping duties mean in practice, and why they are easier to meet with AI you control.
- What is an AI audit trail, and why do regulators want one?
An AI audit trail records what an AI system did, so it can be checked later. Here is what a good one looks like, and the difference between tamper-evident and 'tamper-proof'.
- What to ask a sovereign AI vendor: a buyer's checklist
Twelve questions that separate genuine sovereignty from private-cloud marketing. If a vendor cannot answer these plainly, that is your answer.
Regulation and compliance
What the rules ask of organisations that deploy AI, and how to meet them.
- Sovereign AI vs on-premise vs private cloud: what is the difference?
They sound similar and vendors use them loosely. Here is the plain distinction, and why it decides whether your data is genuinely under your control.
- Is it safe to put confidential or regulated data into public AI chatbots?
For most regulated work the honest answer is no, or not without real care. Here is what actually happens to your data, and the safer alternatives.
- What does the EU AI Act require for AI logging and record-keeping?
High-risk AI systems have to keep records of what they did. Here is what the logging and record-keeping duties mean in practice, and why they are easier to meet with AI you control.
- What is an AI audit trail, and why do regulators want one?
An AI audit trail records what an AI system did, so it can be checked later. Here is what a good one looks like, and the difference between tamper-evident and 'tamper-proof'.
Private and offline AI
Running AI on infrastructure you control, up to fully air-gapped.
- What is sovereign AI? A plain-English definition
Sovereign AI means running artificial intelligence entirely under your own control, on infrastructure you own, with nothing forced through an outside provider. Here is what that means in practice, and why regulated organisations are moving toward it.
- Sovereign AI vs on-premise vs private cloud: what is the difference?
They sound similar and vendors use them loosely. Here is the plain distinction, and why it decides whether your data is genuinely under your control.
- Can you run AI completely offline? Air-gapped AI explained
Yes. Modern AI can run with no internet connection at all, on hardware you own. Here is how air-gapped AI works, what it can and cannot do, and who needs it.
- Is it safe to put confidential or regulated data into public AI chatbots?
For most regulated work the honest answer is no, or not without real care. Here is what actually happens to your data, and the safer alternatives.
- Who builds sovereign AI in the UK?
Sovereign AI is a real field with serious participants. Here is how to think about the landscape, and where a British company is pushing past the baseline.
- Can you run private AI on your own hardware without a data centre?
Yes. Useful AI now runs on workstation and server-class hardware a business can own outright. Here is what it takes, and where the limits are.
Buying and procurement
Questions to ask, and how to compare what vendors offer.
- What to ask a sovereign AI vendor: a buyer's checklist
Twelve questions that separate genuine sovereignty from private-cloud marketing. If a vendor cannot answer these plainly, that is your answer.
- Who builds sovereign AI in the UK?
Sovereign AI is a real field with serious participants. Here is how to think about the landscape, and where a British company is pushing past the baseline.