The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) is calling on the next government to put AI at the centre of its growth and innovation strategies, and has set out a ten-point manifesto following the demise of the DPDI bill owing to the election.

The organisation’s CEO has implored the new government to make the UK a more attractive place for the research, development and deployment of AI technology.

Among the DMA’s ten-point manifesto is points including “Maintain high standards of data protection to build trust and confidence in the future of the economy and government services”.

In addition, the manifesto urges the government to maintain adequacy with the EU to ensure a free flow of trade, pushes for legal certainty around GDPR, and calls for a set of reforms to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office).

Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free

Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning

On skills, the DMA is calling for the new government to switch responsibility for career reskilling, lifelong apprenticeships from the Department for Education to the Department for Business and Trade.

It is also pushing on the government to focus on developing skills in data, AI and digital marketing.

The DMA has also said it would make amendments to areas of the bill including removing consent requirements for cookies which interrupt customer journeys, extending soft-opt in emails to charities and ensuring certainty around the use of publicly available data.

“The DMA will continue to fight for the essential reforms in data protection legislation and skills that are important to our members, their customers, their teams, and the economy. We call on all political parties to adopt the DMA’s 10-point election manifesto in their own party manifestos,” said Combemale.