UK to invest £100m in 'world first' AI Biosecurity Lab
The chancellor will unveil AI spending aimed at shoring up the UK's defences in Wednesday's Budget.
The United Kingdom plans to invest £100 million in the creation of the world's first AI Biosecurity Lab (AIBL), part of its £100 million budget allocation for initiatives aimed at strengthening national security against evolving cyber, biological, and AI-enabled threats. The chancellor, John Healey, emphasized the importance of AI in transforming various aspects of life and ensuring that the benefits of AI-enabled growth are shared across the country.
The lab, set to be a major global institution, will bring together world-leading scientific expertise to safeguard citizens and national goals as AI continues to advance. It will focus on staying ahead of emerging threats, including cyber attacks and biological risks, while building critical technology essential for national security.
In addition to the AIBL, the government has pledged £120 million to the UK's AI Security Institute (AISI) to continue its efforts in evaluating the risks of advanced AI models and fostering a collaborative approach to AI testing. The funding will also support a £60 million investment in the National Cyber Shield, which employs agentic AI to enhance cyber-defenses, and £70 million towards the National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre, which utilizes AI tools to identify cyber vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and the economy.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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