The UK government has committed £40m of funding to a new AI research institute as part of wider efforts to strengthen the country’s technological sovereignty.
Since Donald Trump returned to the White House last January, heightened geopolitical tensions have heightened concerns about Europe’s dependence on American tech services and accelerated efforts to support and scale up homegrown tech companies.
In November, the UK established a new Sovereign AI division, led by Balderton Capital partner James Wise, tasked with helping to build and expand AI capabilities in the UK, with investment of nearly £500m earmarked.
Now, the Government has committed an initial £40 million over six years to establish a new Institute for ‘Blue Sky’ AI research, with the aim of using the technology to deliver breakthroughs in medicine, transport and science.
“AI is already doing things that were unimaginable just a few years ago, such as helping diagnose cancer,” says AI Minister Kanishka Narayan. “But if we want this technology to be a force for good, we need to ensure the next big AI advancements happen in the UK.”
He added: “This is a long-term investment in great minds that will keep the UK in the AI fast lane. If we are the ones breaking new ground in terms of what AI can do, we can ensure our values are embedded from the start.”
The government is accepting applications from AI experts across the country until the end of March, with prizes of up to £9.4 million and access to “tens of millions of pounds” worth of computing power available.
Applications will be peer-reviewed by a committee chaired by Raia Hadsell, VP of Research at Google DeepMind and one of the UK’s recently appointed AI ambassadors.
She said: “The UK has world-class talent and an academic ecosystem that drive innovative research, and I look forward to seeing the proposals that emerge from this call.”
