Researchers focused on boosting the UK economy’s resilience against AI risks such as deepfakes, misinformation, and cyber-attacks can now access government grants to drive their work forward.
The programme against AI risks comes as the UK taps into its potential to spark economic growth and improvements to public services.
The scheme launched today, in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is focused on protecting society from AI’s potential risks.
It will also support research to tackle the threat of AI systems failing unexpectedly, for example, in the financial sector.
Reducing AI risks to boost public confidence
Tackling AI risks head-on will boost public confidence in the technology, which holds enormous potential to spark long-term growth.
It will also keep the UK at the heart of research into responsible and trustworthy AI development.
Ensuring public confidence in AI is central to the government’s plans for seizing its potential. The UK is harnessing the technology to drive up productivity and deliver public services that are fit for the future.
To ensure the UK can continue to harness AI’s enormous opportunities, the government has also committed to introducing highly targeted legislation for the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI models, ensuring a proportionate approach to regulation rather than new blanket rules on its use.
Systematic AI safety
Systemic AI safety is focused on the systems and infrastructure where AI is being deployed across different sectors.
The programme launched today hopes to spark a wide range of research to identify critical AI risks in sectors such as healthcare and energy services.
The research will identify potential solutions that can then be transformed into long-term tools to tackle potential AI risks in these areas.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, said: “My focus is on speeding up the adoption of AI across the country so that we can kickstart growth and improve public services.
“Central to that plan is boosting public trust in the innovations which are already delivering real change.
“By tapping into a wide range of expertise from industry to academia, we are supporting the research which will make sure that as we roll AI systems out across our economy, they can be safe and trustworthy at the point of delivery.”
Launching the formal opening of its Systemic Safety Grants Programme, the UK’s AI Safety Institute is looking to back around 20 projects with funding of up to £200,000 each over the course of its first phase, worth £4m.
In total, the fund is worth £8.5m, first announced at May’s AI Seoul Summit, with the additional cash to become available in due course as further phases are launched.
Applicants will be assessed on the potential issues their research could solve and the risks it addresses. They have until 26 November to submit their proposals.
