Rob Thompson

‘In enabling AI innovation, Rob has struck a careful balance between creating space for experimentation and recognising the pace of change in the AI landscape’

Part of the AI Leadership Index – a curated list of the most inspirational figures shaping the AI revolution.

Rob Thompson is an accomplished CDIO & CTO. He spearheads digital, technology and innovation at the UK Home Office, leading the Home Office Digital function. Renowned for strategic vision and impactful leadership, he excels in digital transformation, digital product development, and leading large-scale IT organisations, delivering critical services in complex organisations.

Rob is an outcome-focused IT leader and joined the Home Office as CTO in 2018. He has recently transitioned to the role of Chief DDaT Officer, setting the department's 2030 Digital Strategy which has recently been published on GOV.UK.

In addition to his role at the Home Office, Rob is also a non-executive director and trustee of the British Computer Society, supporting the wider UK IT industry. Rob is a Fellow of BCS (FBCS), Fellow of IET (FIET), a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng), holds a Batchelor of Engineering (B.Eng), and is a MPLA Graduate.

Please share a case study of how you have you innovated with AI over the last year?

Rob has been a strong advocate for integrating AI into Home Office workstreams. A standout example during his leadership is the two-week contactless borders trial held in October 2025. Delivered by a Home Office Digital team alongside Migration and Borders technology experts, the pilot processed over 10,000 passengers at Manchester Airport using AI-driven facial matching. Travellers were able to use eGates without presenting passports.

The trial marked the culmination of more than seven years of work to build a unified biometric technology stack across the department, including training AI algorithms to significantly improve facial matching accuracy. Results were impressive: processing times fell by 30 per cent and interactions with Border Force officers reduced by 10 per cent.

The project showcased strong cross-department collaboration, bringing together Home Office Digital with teams from Future Borders and Immigration, the Digital Passenger programme and Border Force. It also directly supports the department’s mission to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. In November 2025, the trial received a Home Office Permanent Secretaries Award.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced with AI innovation and how you have overcome it?

In enabling AI innovation, Rob has struck a careful balance between creating space for experimentation and recognising the pace of change in the AI landscape. Soon after the global launch of Microsoft Copilot, he and his senior team agreed that all Home Office civil servants should have access to the tool. The aim was to unlock benefits such as intelligent search, drafting support and note summarisation, while helping colleagues adapt to a major shift in the wider technology culture. As Rob made clear on an all-staff call: if people can use GenAI in their personal lives, they should be able to use it responsibly at work.

Delivering this was a significant undertaking. Rob led the establishment of governance frameworks to ensure Copilot could only access appropriately secured data, alongside a clear communications campaign on safe and effective use of LLMs. His decision to sponsor a dedicated AI and automation team proved critical. Already experienced in AI governance and guidance, the team worked closely with UCD, communications and operational colleagues to run early trials and shape the rollout.

Early access has since driven practical innovation, including widely adopted custom prompts, GOV.UK style guide checkers and SharePoint chatbots.

How do you balance innovation with ethical safeguards?

Collaboration on standards sits at the heart of our approach. Home Office Digital, supported by our experienced AI and automation team — whose director now sits on the Microsoft UK and Ireland AI Advisory Board — played an active role in shaping the UK Government’s Artificial Intelligence Playbook. We apply clear principles: seeking early legal and data protection advice and making sure users and stakeholders can raise ethical concerns as projects evolve.

Under Rob’s leadership, the focus remains firmly on delivering positive outcomes for users. We would not pursue initiatives such as biometric, AI-enabled contactless borders without a clear benefit to the end user. By taking a user-centred approach and following frameworks like the Government Service Standard, where ethics is embedded throughout, safeguards are built in from the start. When integrating AI, our test is simple: it must be relevant, appropriate and proportionate.

How do you believe the artificial intelligence space will change over the next 12-24 months?

Rob strongly believes in the potential of agentic AI. Whilst he recognises the surrounding hype, he expects the technology to mature faster than many anticipate. He has recently spoken to different teams to share his excitement about what agentic AI could mean for the Home Office over the next few years.

He describes a near future where AI agents take on repetitive and complex administrative tasks, enabling civil servants to focus more on strategy and delivery. He also sees significant opportunity to streamline the software development lifecycle, potentially doubling or even tripling productivity.

Engineering and operations teams have already begun experimenting with agentic AI. Given Rob’s long track record of championing AI, and the accuracy of his past predictions, his enthusiasm is both credible and motivating.