Does Your Business Need UK-Resident AI?
UK AI data residency is not a marketing checkbox. Define what your business actually requires, map the architecture and verify the evidence.
Do not start with the AI product. Start with the requirement.
“UK data residency” can mean storage, processing, model inference, logs, backups, connectors or a contract-specific obligation. These are separate questions and should not be collapsed into a blanket UK-only claim.
The Altitude AI Requirement-First Model
Define the requirement, classify the data, map the data path, test supplier capability and configuration, then record the evidence and any remaining gap.
Current vendor reality: the product name is not a data-location guarantee
Product tier, feature, account type, configured region, model, connector and subprocessor can change the answer. Check current product-specific documentation rather than relying on a generic trust statement.
Can you prove where the AI data goes?
A practical residency review should produce a data-location map, supplier questionnaire, configuration checks, evidence register and an explicit decision: requirement met, likely fit, gap, clarification or specialist review required.
Residency is not security
UK hosting does not by itself prove least privilege, encryption, retention, resilience, auditability, prompt-injection protection or safe connected actions. Review residency alongside security, privacy and operational ownership.