UK must not be beholden to foreign AI, says head of Alan Turing Institute

The head of the Alan Turing Institute, George Williamson, has emphasized the importance of the UK not becoming reliant on foreign AI systems. He stated that national resilience is a key focus for the institute as the US and China dominate the AI field. Williamson pointed out that AI is becoming more embedded in critical services, such as defense, national security, critical infrastructure, and healthcare, and the country should not be dependent on systems that cannot be inspected or controlled, or that could be restricted or switched off.

He also mentioned that both political and commercial pressures may lead to limited access to AI when needed, which is not desirable for a nation. Williamson stressed that national resilience is crucial in the current geopolitical situation and highlighted concerns about the risk posed by powerful AI systems. He emphasized that ATI will work on securing critical systems against disruption, countering AI threats, and shaping the right strategic AI capability for the UK.

The institute aims to assist in building national resilience by promoting AI uses for the public good, such as weather forecasting and farming, as well as monitoring disinformation campaigns. Williamson, a former head of His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre, stressed the need for the UK to have more agency in accessing technology and a stronger sovereign position in AI.

He expressed concerns about Chinese-made AI systems potentially not aligning with British values and highlighted the importance of producing "nationally owned IP" or smaller models for startups.