The government has announced a package of investment to unlock the opportunities of AI in every postcode, scale up home grown AI firms, and keep the country safe from hostile threats.
The Chancellor is set to make AI part of his budget, having already announced hundreds of millions in investment to guard against the risks of AI while harnessing the opportunities to raise living standards for working people.
Plans include £10 million per year to lead the UK’s work in understanding how AI will reshape jobs and industry, and how Britain needs to prepare for it, addressing concerns about AI’s replacement of jobs from workers across the country and making sure government is best placed to help people into jobs in future.
This investment will help to protect against those risks and cut UK dependence on other countries to bolster security and resilience while supporting home-grown businesses and talent.
The package will boost the UK's ability to build its own chip design and cyber defences, and will go further to make sure AI works for Britain, boosting the economy, speeding up public services, and keeping Brits secure.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey MP, said: "AI will transform daily life: every firm, community, hospital, school, and every aspect of our economy can benefit.
"I understand and share the concerns of working people, so I am setting out a distinctively British approach to AI - one that doesn’t leave workers behind and defends our national interest while ensuring the benefits of AI-enabled growth are felt right across the country."
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: "Our new AI Biosecurity Lab will be a major new global institution, bringing together world-leading scientific expertise to protect people from emerging biological threats and ensure Britain leads the world in AI safety and security.
"As AI becomes more powerful, Britain must have the capabilities to protect its people and shape its own future. That means staying ahead of emerging threats, from cyber attacks to biological risks, while building more of the critical technology our security depends on.
"We cannot afford to rely entirely on technology built overseas. By backing British science, advanced chips and our own AI companies, we can strengthen our national security, rebuild Britain’s industrial strength and create good, skilled jobs across the country."
