UK announces £1b drive into artificial intelligence

The deal comprises a total of 300 million pounds of private financing, 300 million pounds of new government spending in addition to 400 million pounds the state has already announced. "Artificial intelligence provides limitless opportunities to develop new, efficient and accessible products and services," business secretary Greg Clark said in an emailed statement Thursday. In prioritising AI, Britain joins several other nations that see the emerging technology as central to their future place in the world, such as China, which last year set a goal of becoming the world leader in AI by 2030. Antony Phillipson, the UK Trade Commissioner for North America and Consul General in New York, said in an interview ahead of the announcement that the UK could not compete with China in terms of total funding or scale of some government-run AI projects. Instead though, he said, Britain could be at the forefront of discussions around ethics, safety and regulation.