Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has instructed the UK's National Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to focus on defense and safety.
In the letter, Kyle said that increasing the UK's AI capabilities is “important” to national security and should be at the heart of the work of the Alan Turing Institute.
Kyle suggested that the institute should overhaul its leadership team to reflect its “new objectives.”
Ministers said further government investment in the institute would depend on “providing a vision,” outlined by him in the letter.
A spokesman for the Alan Turing Institute said, “We welcome recognition of our important role and will continue to work closely with the government to support that priorities.”
“Turing focuses on a shocking mission supporting the UK's sovereign AI capabilities, including defense and national security,” the spokesman said.
“We share the government's vision of AI changing the UK for the better.”
The letter comes after Prime Minister Kiel committed to the target of the NATO Alliance to increase UK defence spending to 5% of national income by 2035 and invest more in the military use of AI technology.
A recent government review of UK defense stated that “the immediate priority for power conversion should be a shift towards autonomy and the greater use of artificial intelligence.”
Founded in 2015 under Prime Minister David Cameron's government, the institute added AI to its remittance two years later.
It received public funds and was given a £100 million grant from the conservative government before last year.
The Turing Institute's research focuses on researching AI and data science in three key areas: AI and environmental sustainability, health and national security.
Recently, the institute has focused on responsible AI and ethics, and one recent report concerns the increased use of technology by romance scammers.
However, Kyle's letter suggests that the government wants the Turing Institute to make defense a major priority. This is an important factor for the organization.
“There's an opportunity for ATI to seize this moment,” Kyle wrote in a letter to Dr. Douglas Girl, the institute's chairman.
“I think the lab needs to build on existing strengths and further reform to prioritize its defense, national security and sovereign capabilities.”
It was turbulent for the lab for several months. This turns out to be in survival mode in 2025.
Last year, a review by UK research and innovation government funding agencies discovered “a clear need for the evolution of the institute's governance and leadership structure.”
At the end of 2024, 93 staff members signed a letter expressing their lack of confidence in their leadership team.
In March, Jean Innes, who was appointed chief executive in July 2023, said in an interview with The Financial Times that Turing needs to modernize and concentrate on AI projects.
She said, “a major strategic shift towards a much more focused agenda for a few issues affecting the real world.”
In April, Chief Scientist Mark Girorami said in an interview that the organization will only advance 22 projects from its 104 portfolio.
Kyle's letter said the institute should “receive the funds needed to implement reforms and provide Turing 2.0.”
However, he said there will be a review of ATI's “long-term funding arrangement” next year.
The use of AI in defense is as powerful as it is controversial.
Google's parent company, Alphabet, faced criticism earlier this year for removing a voluntary ban on AI weapon development.
Meanwhile, the British and other troops have already invested in AI-enabled tools.
The government's defense review said AI technology “provides greater accuracy, lethality and cheaper capabilities.”
The review states that “unknown autonomous systems” can be used within the UK's traditional forces within the next five years.
In one example, this review stated that the Royal Navy could use “audio-intelligent acoustic detection systems” to monitor “the growth of underwater threats from modernized Russian submarine forces.”
High-tech company Palantir provides data operation software to the UK military.
Louis Mosley, head of Palantir UK, told the BBC it was a good idea to shift the lab's focus to AI defense technology.
He states: “Now we are facing a difficult combination of dark geopolitics and technological revolution. The moment artificial intelligence is changing the face of war and deterrence, the world becomes a more dangerous place.
“What that really means is that we are now in an AI weapons race with our enemies.
“And the government is right that we need to put all the resources we have to move forward, because that's our best path to maintain peace.”
Additional Reports by Chris Vallance, Senior Technology Reporter
