UK and South Korea to co-host AI Seoul Summit

The UK and South Korea are set to co-host the AI Seoul Summit on the 21st and 22nd of May. This summit aims to pave the way for the safe development of AI technologies, drawing on the cooperative framework laid down by the Bletchley Declaration.

The two-day event will feature a virtual leaders' session, co-chaired by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and a subsequent in-person meeting among Digital Ministers. UK Technology Secretary...

12 April 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft AI opens London hub to access ‘enormous pool’ of talent

Microsoft is doubling down on its AI efforts in the UK with the opening of a major new AI hub in London. The Microsoft AI London outpost will focus on advancing state-of-the-art language models, supporting infrastructure, and tooling for foundation models.

The hub will be led by AI scientist and engineer Jordan Hoffmann, who previously distinguished himself as a pioneer at AI companies Inflection and DeepMind, which are also based in London.

"There is an enormous pool of...

8 April 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UK and US sign pact to develop AI safety tests

The UK and US have signed a landmark agreement to collaborate on developing rigorous testing for advanced AI systems, representing a major step forward in ensuring their safe deployments.

The Memorandum of Understanding – signed Monday by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo – establishes a partnership to align the scientific approaches of both countries in rapidly iterating robust evaluation methods for cutting-edge AI models,...

2 April 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

IPPR: 8M UK careers at risk of ‘job apocalypse’ from AI

A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) sheds light on the potential impact of AI on the UK job market. The study warns of an imminent 'job apocalypse', threatening to engulf over eight million careers across the nation, unless swift government intervention is enacted.

The report identifies two key stages of generative AI adoption. The first wave, which is already underway, exposes 11 percent of tasks performed by UK workers. Routine cognitive tasks like...

27 March 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UAE set to help fund OpenAI’s in-house chips

OpenAI's ambitious plans to develop its own semiconductor chips for powering advanced AI models could receive a boost from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a report by the Financial Times.

The report states that MGX — a state-backed group in Abu Dhabi — is in discussions to support OpenAI's venture to build AI chips in-house. This information comes from two individuals with knowledge of the discussions.

In order to achieve its goal of creating...

15 March 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UK and France to collaborate on AI following Horizon membership

The UK and France have announced new funding initiatives and partnerships aimed at advancing global AI safety. The developments come in the wake of the UK's association with Horizon Europe, a move that was broadly seen as putting the divisions of Brexit in the past and the repairing of relations for the good of the continent.

French Minister for Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, is scheduled to meet with UK Secretary of State Michelle Donelan in London today for...

29 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UK Home Secretary sounds alarm over deepfakes ahead of elections

Criminals and hostile state actors could hijack Britain's democratic process by deploying AI-generated "deepfakes" to mislead voters, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly cautioned in remarks ahead of meetings with major tech companies. 

Speaking to The Times, Cleverly emphasised the rapid advancement of AI technology and its potential to undermine elections not just in the UK but globally. He warned that malign actors working on behalf of nations like Russia and Iran could generate...

26 February 2024 | Applications

The UK is outpacing the US for AI hiring

A new report finds that the UK has been growing its AI job market faster than the US over the last five years. 

Analysing job listings data, the report by AIPRM found that – between 2017 and 2022 – the average yearly growth rate for AI hiring was 1.2% in the US. This compares to 1.22% in the UK over the same period. 

The UK's strong performance means it outpaced other major economies like India (1.19% growth), Canada (1.26%), and Brazil...

7 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

UK announces over £100M to support ‘agile’ AI regulation

The UK government has announced over £100 million in new funding to support an "agile" approach to AI regulation. This includes £10 million to prepare and upskill regulators to address the risks and opportunities of AI across sectors like telecoms, healthcare, and education. 

The investment comes at a vital time, as research from Thoughtworks shows 91% of British people argue that government regulations must do more to hold businesses accountable for their AI systems. The...

6 February 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

AUKUS trial advances AI for military operations 

The UK armed forces and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) recently collaborated with the militaries of Australia and the US as part of the AUKUS partnership in a landmark trial focused on AI and autonomous systems. 

The trial, called Trusted Operation of Robotic Vehicles in Contested Environments (TORVICE), was held in Australia under the AUKUS partnership formed last year between the three countries. It aimed to test robotic vehicles and sensors in situations...

5 February 2024 | Applications