# Sammy Harris

> Co-Founder of Stealth Labs. Former Microsoft Azure AI Lead for Regulated Industries. Former UK civil servant. Writing about why government can't buy good AI, and building the alternative.

Sammy Harris is a UK-based entrepreneur and writer focused on AI adoption in government and regulated industries. He has worked on both sides of the public sector technology market: as a civil servant managing budgets and procurement, and as Microsoft's Azure AI Lead for Regulated Industries helping enterprises navigate AI adoption. He co-founded Stealth Labs in 2024 with Steve Chan to build bespoke AI applications for UK government and defence clients.

Contact: sammy@stealthlabs.uk
Website: https://sammyharris.me
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammy-harris1/

## Newsletter

- [The Government AI Gap](https://governmentaigap.substack.com/) — Weekly newsletter on why UK government struggles to buy good AI and what needs to change. Written from direct experience on both sides of the procurement table.

## Writing

- [The people trying to move fast inside government and the system slowing them down](https://governmentaigap.substack.com/p/the-people-trying-to-move-fast-inside) — The Government AI Gap, April 2026. On the civil servants trying to move at the pace AI demands, and the procurement system working against them.

- [The Consulting Industry Gets Paid to Be Slow. AI Breaks That.](https://governmentaigap.substack.com/p/the-consulting-industry-gets-paid) — The Government AI Gap, February 2026. Why time-and-materials billing creates a structural incentive against fast AI delivery in government.

- [How Government Could Actually Buy Good AI](https://governmentaigap.substack.com/p/how-government-could-actually-buy) — The Government AI Gap, January 2026. Three concrete changes to procurement timelines, security assurance frameworks, and leadership culture.

- [Most Government AI Pilots Should Fail](https://governmentaigap.substack.com/p/most-government-ai-pilots-should) — The Government AI Gap, January 2026. A high pilot success rate in government is a bad sign. The problem is not failure; it is that pilots fail slowly, expensively, and without anyone learning anything.

- [I Used to Be the Buyer](https://governmentaigap.substack.com/p/i-used-to-be-the-buyer) — The Government AI Gap, January 2026. What vendors could not be told during government procurement, and what actually influences buying decisions.

- [AI and National Security: Unlocking Innovation Through Smarter Support](https://www.techuk.org/resource/ai-and-national-security-unlocking-innovation-through-smarter-support.html) — TechUK, June 2025. How AI is transforming the UK public sector and why SME barriers to government procurement must be addressed.

- [The Arrival of Quantum Technology](https://www.techuk.org/resource/the-arrival-of-quantum-technology.html) — TechUK, April 2025. The UK's position in the global quantum race and the case for aggressive investment and talent strategy.

## Companies

**Stealth Labs** (https://www.stealthlabs.uk)
AI solutions for UK government and regulated industries. Builds bespoke multi-agent systems, agentic workflows, and intelligent automation. Prototype-first model: zero upfront cost, charges when it works. Microsoft for Startups Partner, Cyber Essentials certified, DOS/ACE/G-Cloud 14 framework supplier.

**Yochi** (https://www.yochi.io)
Predictive location intelligence platform. Combines GPS, IoT, weather, and behavioural data to forecast movement and activity patterns. Applications in defence, border operations, national security, and transport.

## Background

- Former civil servant, UK government (10+ years across government and defence)
- Former Microsoft Azure Apps and AI Lead for Regulated Industries
- Delivered AI projects across FCDO, Home Office, HMRC, NCA, Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems
- Security cleared for sensitive government environments
- Published author: TechUK
- Government framework supplier: DOS, ACE, G-Cloud 14
- Bramble Hub member