The government has launched a £1m prize for innovative AI-based solutions to support the energy sector, the environment and infrastructure.
First announced in March during the Spring Statement, the Manchester Prize was created as part of the government’s ambition for the UK to take a leading role in the rapidly growing AI industry.
The first iteration of the 10-year project, which will award £1m each year, will focus on using AI to tackle climate change and comes during the global climate conference COP28, hosted in the United Arab Emirates.
“Embracing AI could help build on the incredible progress we have made to decarbonise our energy system,” said Andrew Bowie, the energy minister.
The inaugural competition will run until March 2025. Up to 10 finalists will be selected in April 2024 and will each receive £100,000, with one of the projects to later be awarded the grand prize based on innovation, impact, long-term viability, safety and feasibility.
“Our decade-long funding commitment for the Manchester Prize will allow the UK to continue harnessing the transformative opportunities of AI for public good,” said Viscount Camrose, minister for AI and intellectual property.
“AI is already helping us to slash carbon emissions, unlocking incredible advances in healthcare and even improving our productivity in the workplace.
The prize was named after the Manchester Baby, the first computer with an electronic memory that was built at the University of Manchester.
“Manchester is the birthplace of the world’s first modern computer and has inspired countless innovations in computer science,” said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
“The UK is the leading European tech ecosystem ahead of Germany and France, and with initiatives like this we can cement our position as a science and technology superpower, helping grow our economy.”
Startups using AI in the energy and climate tech sector include Continuum, which assesses routing options for energy types for power companies and Treefera, which provides forest mapping data to the carbon offset industry.