The money will be spent on a range of AI projects, including the development of a responsible AI ecosystem and net-zero carbon emissions initiatives. Credit: Thinkstock The UK government has announced $68 million (£54 million) in new investments for the development of AI technology, including $39 million for the creation of a research and innovation ecosystem for responsible and trustworthy AI. The funding was announced by technology secretary Chole Smith during her speech at London Tech Week on Wednesday, and follows previous commitments to the AI sector made by the government. These include $126 million in funding for a Foundation Model Taskforce, which aims to support the development of secure and reliable AI models that can be used in industries such as healthcare and education, and a new AI research award which will offer $1.2million per year to the company that has achieved the “most groundbreaking British AI research.” The money for the projects will be delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The $39 million project, dubbed Responsible AI UK, is a large consortium that will be led by Professor of Artificial Intelligence Gopal Ramchurn from the University of Southampton. It has been established to fund “multidisciplinary research” into understanding what responsible and trustworthy AI is, how to develop it and build it into existing systems, and the impacts it will have on society. In addition to the funding for Responsible AI UK, $16.4 million has been awarded to 13 AI projects geared to help the UK meet its net-zero carbon emissions targets, and $10 million for two new Alan Turing AI research fellowships. Two and a half million dollars has also been allocated for 42 projects that will help facilitate the principles of safety, security and robustness; transparency and explainability; fairness; accountability and governance; and contestability, as outlined in the UK government’s AI white paper. “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,” Smith said, in comments posted alongside the announcement. Related content tip 13 tricks for more efficient Android messaging Save time and communicate more effectively with these easy-to-miss advanced options for Google's Android Messages app. By JR Raphael May 01, 2024 18 mins Smartphones Google Mobile Apps feature LLM deployment flaws that catch IT by surprise From unfettered control over enterprise systems to glitches that go unnoticed, LLM deployments can go wrong in subtle but serious ways. By Evan Schuman May 01, 2024 10 mins Generative AI IT Operations how-to 10 ways to turn off Windows' worst ads Windows will let you use your PC in relative peace. You just have to flip the right switches. By Chris Hoffman May 01, 2024 11 mins Windows PCs Windows 10 Microsoft news Amazon Q Business now available with new app-builder capabilities The new Amazon Q Apps feature allows enterprise users to build applications using natural language prompts. By Anirban Ghoshal Apr 30, 2024 4 mins Amazon Web Services Generative AI Enterprise Applications Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe