UK will fund two new artificial intelligence research labs at the University of Oxford and University College London, with up to £60 million to develop AI systems that are cheaper to run, more reliable and easier to use.
The government said on Tuesday that the labs would work on the next phase of AI research, including open-source systems that can run on widely available hardware and new ways for AI to learn without relying on large amounts of centralised computing power.
The funding will be provided through UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council over the next six years. The labs will also receive access to large-scale computing power worth tens of millions of pounds.
The Science of Fundamental AI Research (SOFAIR) Lab will be led by Professor David Barber at UCL, working with the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh. It will focus on open-source AI technologies that can run on widely available hardware.
The British Open-ended Learning and Discovery (BOLD) Lab will be led by Professor Jakob Foerster at Oxford, alongside UCL and Imperial College London. It will work on AI systems that can learn more efficiently, adapt to new situations and navigate physical spaces.
AI minister Kanishka Narayan said: “We are only just beginning to unlock AI’s huge potential to grow our economy and improve our public services. With our world-leading universities and deep pool of AI expertise, Britain can set the agenda for what comes next.
"These new labs will lead the world in the fundamental work that is set to make AI cheaper, more practical and easier to adopt so more businesses and public services across the UK can benefit.”
Barber said: “We’re very excited that UCL will be leading the new SOFAIR Lab. While current AI systems are impressive, many still suffer from basic issues such as inaccurate responses to questions.”
Foerster said: “The UK cannot win the global AI race simply by trying to outspend the largest technology companies on data and compute. BOLD is about a different route: discovering fundamentally new ways to build AI that are more efficient, more open and better aligned with human needs.”
The government said the plan had been expanded from one lab to two, with total investment rising from £40m to up to £60m. Each lab will also receive £2m to recruit at least 10 doctoral students.
