Anamika Dey, editor
Brief news
- The United Kingdom government has canceled £1.3 billion in computational infrastructure initiatives, which is a setback for the country’s aspirations to become a global leader in artificial intelligence.
- Two significant taxpayer-funded expenditure commitments, valued at £500 million and £800 million, respectively, have been rescinded in order to prioritize other fiscal plans.
- The cancellation affects the AI Research Resource initiative and the funding for the construction of a next-generation exascale computer at the University of Edinburgh.
Detailed news
In a significant setback to the nation’s aspirations to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, the United Kingdom government has canceled £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) in computational infrastructure initiatives.
In order to prioritize other fiscal plans, a government spokesperson verified to CNBC that two significant taxpayer-funded expenditure commitments, valued at £500 million and £800 million, respectively, were being rescinded.
The AI Research Resource, a development initiative designed to enhance the U.K.’s computation infrastructure, was intended to receive the £500 million pledge that former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government made last year.
In the interim, the University of Edinburgh would have received £800 million in funding to construct a next-generation exascale computer that is capable of conducting 1 trillion calculations per second. This commitment was also disclosed last year.
These initiatives would have enhanced the United Kingdom’s capacity to construct high-performance infrastructure that can operate sophisticated AI models, which necessitate massive amounts of training data and consume a significant quantity of electricity.
The newly elected Labour government has announced that neither of these commitments will be pursued at this time.
“We are steadfast in our dedication to the development of technology infrastructure that generates growth and opportunity for individuals throughout the United Kingdom,” stated a spokesperson for the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) in an email to CNBC.
The spokesperson further stated that the government is making “difficult and necessary spending decisions across all departments in the face of billions of pounds of unfunded commitments.”
“This is imperative for the restoration of economic stability and the fulfillment of our national growth mission,” stated the spokesperson for the DSIT.
The government implemented an AI Opportunities Action Plan last month. It was stated that this plan would aim to determine how the United Kingdom can enhance its computing infrastructure to better accommodate its requirements and to evaluate the most effective methods for supporting Britain’s industrial strategy through the use of AI and other emerging technologies.
After disclosing that Labour had inherited a projected £22 billion ($28 billion) of unfunded pledges from the center-right Conservatives, British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced a series of expenditure adjustments earlier this week.
The government had prioritized AI leadership during Sunak’s tenure, hosting a global AI safety summit at the renowned Bletchley Park country house. This location was previously the residence of the World War II codebreakers who assisted Britain in defeating Nazi Germany.
In contrast to his predecessor, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is considering the implementation of new statutory regulations for the AI industry. The former government refrained from issuing formal legislation for AI on the grounds that it would impede innovation.
It was widely anticipated that the Labour government would proclaim the introduction of the first-ever U.K. AI Bill in a speech delivered by King Charles III just last month. Nevertheless, this did not transpire. Instead, a spokesperson for the Department of Science and Information Technology (DSIT) informed CNBC that the government would consult on its plans to regulate AI in the future.
Source : CNBC News
