UK digital transformation agency CTI Digital has developed and deployed a sovereign AI platform for internal use, hosted on private infrastructure operated by Nublue, part of the CTI Group, as the Manchester-based company seeks to retain full control over data, intellectual property and AI infrastructure rather than relying on large third-party providers.

The development, reported by IT Brief, reflects a broader shift in how organisations are approaching AI adoption by moving from questions of capability toward concerns over governance, ownership and long-term strategic dependence.

Chris Burgess, Group CEO of CTI Digital, said: "Many organisations have understandably focused on what AI can do. Increasingly, they are now asking where their data is going, who controls the underlying technology, what happens if costs continue to rise and how dependent they have become on third-party providers."

Burgess added: "We believe the next phase of AI adoption will be about sovereignty as much as capability. Organisations want the benefits of AI while retaining control of their data, intellectual property and long-term strategic direction."

The platform combines private AI infrastructure, self-hosted models and dedicated hosting environments, providing CTI Digital employees with access to AI tools within a controlled internal environment rather than through public AI services. By building and operating the system within the CTI Group, the company is creating an internal model it says could inform future work with clients considering similar sovereign AI arrangements.

CTI Digital has more than 150 staff and counts Visit Britain, Chester Zoo, the British Council, De Vere Hotels and Mind among its clients. The company plans to combine its agency and consultancy capabilities with Nublue's hosting infrastructure to offer private and sovereign AI systems to organisations requiring closer oversight of their data and systems.

Burgess said: "We have invested in our own platform, our own infrastructure and our own capabilities because we believe businesses need more choice than simply consuming AI as a service from a handful of global providers."

The sovereign platform is described as the first step in a longer investment programme across AI infrastructure and private environments, with CTI Digital positioning the model as a foundation for the next generation of enterprise digital transformation.

Explore the full story for more on CTI Digital's sovereign AI strategy and its plans to extend the model to enterprise clients.