AI university research gets £54m government funding boost

UK universities will receive a £54m funding boost to support developments in AI research and technology.

Announced at London Tech Week by the tech secretary, the funding will be delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

From the funding, £31m will go towards responsible AI research at the University of Southampton, with the remainder being used to fund 13 projects based at universities across the country to develop AI innovations.

“Last year, the UK became just the third country in the world to have a tech sector valued at $1tn. It is the biggest in Europe by some distance and behind only the US and China globally,” said Tech Secretary Chloe Smith.

“The technology landscape, though, is constantly evolving, and we need a tech ecosystem which can respond to those shifting sands, harness its opportunities, and address emerging challenges. The measures unveiled today will do exactly that.”

The government has been keen to establish the UK as a leader in the global AI industry both economically and in regulation.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking at London Tech Week 2023, said he wants to make the UK the “geographical home of global AI safety regulation”.

The latest financial commitments follow an announcement in March of £117m of government funding for doctoral AI training.

The UKTN team is reporting from London Tech Week throughout the event. Subscribe to the daily newsletter to stay up to date.