Government provides boost to artificial intelligence skills

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced funding to boost the national artificial intelligence (AI) skills base. One of the funding packages comes from industry and government, and will see £200m going towards 1,000 PhD places focused on AI in the next five years. Students will study the application of the technology to support diagnostics in healthcare and enhance processes in industries such as aviation and car manufacturing. Separately, a further £170m will be committed to funding 1,700 places to study PhDs in biosciences. Announcing the funding, prime minister Boris Johnson said the UK must continue to be world-leading in AI and technology.