Government names DeepMind chief as top AI adviser

Demis Hassabis, chief executive of UK-based tech company DeepMind, has been picked to advise the government's newly created Office for Artificial Intelligence. Hassabis (pictured above), who co-founded the Google-owned AI specialist, will "provide expert industry guidance" to the recently formed government body. The Office for AI was created as part of the Industrial Strategy unveiled by the government in November 2017, and has responsibility for delivering the initiatives set out in the £1bn AI Sector Deal published in April. "I'm honoured to be taking on the role of Adviser to the Office for AI, and look forward to the huge opportunity that lies ahead," Hassabis said. "I've always believed that AI could be one of the most important and widely beneficial breakthroughs of the 21st century – and as a proud Londoner, it's fantastic to see the UK's world-class universities and start-ups already making major scientific advances. Alongside the research, I'm very excited about the role the UK can play in making the case globally for AI's safe and ethical deployment."