A landmark AI deal between the UK and Ukraine has been signed as the two countries join forces to develop new technology and military capabilities.
Bringing together Britain’s AI ecosystem with Ukraine’s operational experience, engineering talent and technological innovation, the new deal will enable access to Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs database.
The platform provides real world data and insights to train AI models, collected by thousands of daylight cameras and infrared sensors across the battlefield in Ukraine.
These sensors and cameras capture millions of objects, such as tanks, artillery, air defence systems, infantry and aerial targets, feeding back data to the Avengers Lab to train new AI models.
The deal will first focus on defence and national security, bringing together engineers, academics, businesses and military operational expertise from both countries to act as an AI cell to solve key national security challenges for both countries.
The government says Avengers AI Labs will give British innovators and researchers unparalleled access to real-world operational insights and the opportunity to ‘plug and play’.
In return, the UK will back Ukraine with its universities, researchers, technology companies and AI ecosystem, allowing Ukraine to draw on British expertise to accelerate the development of solutions to urgent challenges. The UK also hopes to transform operational experience and unique datasets into technologies with long-term benefits for both countries.
As part of the agreement, pilot projects will take place with three British startups – Bristol’s Sintela, Oxford’s Mind Foundry and London’s Skyral.
The first of the trial technologies will be rolled out at a UK defence site to protect bases from protestors and hostile actors trying to gain intelligence.
The project, which uses Ukrainian data and UK technology, turns buried fibre-optic cables into a giant AI-enabled sensor. As well as military bases, the technology could be used to protect airports, prisons, railways and energy plants in the future.
The second project will see the UK and Ukraine explore the development of next-generation low-power AI chips designed to power future drones, robotics and autonomous systems.
“This groundbreaking partnership will bring together Ukraine’s unrivalled operational experience with Britain’s world-class AI ecosystem, giving us the opportunity to develop the technologies of the future, changing lives here in Britain and saving lives on the battlefield in Ukraine,” says Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
“By combining Ukrainian battlefield data with British expertise, we will accelerate the development of capabilities that not only strengthen our national security, but better protect our critical infrastructure and growth in every postcode here at home.”
