Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has announced that taxpayer spending on AI chips and supercomputers will be increased to £400 million as part of the UK’s efforts to become a global technological player.
“With the combined strength of our international partners, thriving AI industry and expert academic community, we can secure the rapid international action we need for the safe and responsible development of AI around the world,” said Sunak.
The £400 million investment is likely to come from a £900 million package previously reserved for the AI Research Resource and an “exascale” supercomputer in Edinburgh.
Initially, £50 million of this total was set aside for AI-related research. However, the rapid advancements in AI technology have raised concerns about its misuse, seemingly justifying the increased research expenditure.
Back in September, the UK government announced the establishment of a new AI Research Resource (AIRR) called Isambard-AI, which will be one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers and will form part of the funding. The AIRR will be installed later this year and hosted at Bristol University.
“The UK AI Research Resource – which will include the new Isambard-AI supercomputer we announced last month – will support critical research into the safe development and use of AI,” said a government spokesperson. “This is in line with our commitment to supporting a thriving computer environment which maintains the UK’s position as a leader across science, innovation and technology. Delivery of AIRR is subject to an ongoing commercial process.”
“The Isambard-AI cluster will be one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, and will help industry experts and researchers harness the game-changing potential of AI, including through the mission-critical work of our Frontier AI Taskforce,” according to the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan.
