UK government puts $1.3 billion UK tech and AI plan on hold

According to the BBC, the new Labour government has withheld $1.3 billion in funding that the Conservatives had promised for technology and artificial intelligence (AI) projects.

This includes $800 million to build an exascale supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh, and a further $500 million for AI research resources to support the computing power of AI.

Both funds went public 12 months ago.

The Department of Science and Technology (DSIT) said the funding was promised by the previous administration but never allocated in the budget.

Some in the industry criticized the government's decision.

Tech founder Barney Hussey-Yeo posted that reducing investment in X risks “pushing more entrepreneurs to the US.” Entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl described the move as “foolish.”

Trade body techUK said the Government must now come up with new proposals “quickly” or the UK risks “losing out” to other countries in key industries of the future.

DSIT defended its actions.

“The government is making difficult and necessary spending decisions across all departments at a time when billions of pounds of funding are unavailable,” the government said in a statement.

“This is essential to restoring economic stability and achieving our national mission for growth.”

He added that he was “absolutely committed” to building technology infrastructure in the UK.

Those affected were notified by Secretary of State Peter Kyle.

But the Conservatives claim there has been a lack of spending under DSIT's leadership.

“In fact, when the election was taking place, officials were advising ministers that the department was likely to underspend in the current financial year,” said shadow chancellor Andrew Griffiths.

“The Government’s commitment to science, research and innovation, including the UK’s leadership in AI, has been outstanding.”

For now, the future of the Edinburgh Exascale supercomputer is uncertain.

The University of Edinburgh said its vice-chancellor and president, Professor Peter Maddison, had requested an urgent meeting with Mr Kyle after the news broke to BBC News.

There are only a handful of these incredibly powerful machines in existence in the world, and an early version was housed in Bristol.

The new funding was announced in October last year and the University of Edinburgh has already spent £31 million on housing for it.

This was considered a priority project by the previous government.

At the time, the university said the machine was 50 times faster than any computer currently in the UK.

Exascale will help researchers model every aspect of the world, test scientific theories, and improve products and services in areas such as artificial intelligence, drug discovery, climate change, astrophysics, and advanced engineering, according to its website.

“The university has been a leader in supercomputing in the UK for decades,” a university spokesperson told the BBC.

“[It] They added: “We stand ready to work with the Government to support the next phase of this technology in the UK, realising the benefits it will bring to industry, public services and society.”

Angus Robertson MSP, the Scottish Government's cabinet secretary for constitutional affairs, foreign affairs and culture, described the incident simply as “bad news”.

Sue Daley, techUK's head of technology and innovation, said ministers must now find a new way forward.

She told BBC News: Investment in large-scale computing is essential to grow our economy and deliver the scientific breakthroughs that will improve our lives.

The UK has made clear its ambitions to build the next generation of computers that will enable cutting-edge research, including AI.

In a highly competitive global environment, governments must quickly come up with new proposals, or we will lose to our peers.

Last week, DSIT announced that Matt Clifford, one of the organizers of the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in November 2023, had been asked to develop an action plan to identify new “AI opportunities”, including infrastructure.

The tech sector is seen as a valuable part of the UK economy and therefore crucial to the economic growth that Labour has pledged to prioritise.

Technology network Tech Nation recently forecast the company's market value at $1.1 trillion (£863 billion) in the first quarter of 2024.

Additional reporting by Graham Fraser

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