UK splashes £100m on designated AI task force
The UK will initially spend £100m in funding to set up a government and industry AI task force, which should focus on strengthening the country’s sovereignty and competitiveness in the field.
The task force will develop basic models – systems that train on large amounts of data such as ChatGPT and Google Bard – with the aim of taking advantage of their applications in public services and across the UK economy.
According to the government, the technology is estimated to contribute billions of pounds to the country’s GDP predictions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to decline 0.3% this year.
“Harnessing the potential of AI offers tremendous opportunities to grow our economy, create better paying jobs and build a brighter future through advancements in healthcare and safety,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. For example, in healthcare, the government sees the potential of AI to accelerate diagnosis and drug discovery and development.
To increase business and public confidence in artificial intelligence, the task force will work with industry on the “safe and reliable use” of foundation models, both on a scientific and commercial scale. This will be done according to the guidelines in the AI regulatory document published in March.
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The task force will report directly to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Technology, and will be headed by a chairperson to be appointed in the summer. Meanwhile, the first pilot projects for public services are expected to start within the next six months.
The £100 million fund follows a £900 million announced investment in a new exascale computer and a dedicated AI Research Resource to provide the UK with the processing power needed for the next generation of AI.
With multiple countries around the world increase their AI spending, the UK does not want to miss its chance to stay ahead. “We need to act now to seize the opportunities AI can bring us in the future,” said Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan.
“We are supporting our expert task force with the funding to realize our ambitions for a country with AI and keep the UK at the forefront of this emerging technology.”
