Unpacking the UK's Newly Announced Centre on Artificial Intelligence

Few details about the planned UK defence centre on artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged since 19 November when the prime minister announced its intended formation. Nor is it clear whether it was the Cabinet Office and Downing Street or the Ministry of Defence itself that was the driving force behind the proposal, and it is not known whether the centre will reside within the defence organisational structure or be co-located with another department. As a result, all we can do at this stage is offer some suggestions about the functions the centre could perform and raise questions about its organisation and structure. A few introductory lines about AI are needed. At its heart, it involves the use of computers for processing information to improve decision-making (namely suggesting choices that have a better chance of success and to do so more rapidly). There are four elements in AI development.