Throughout history, there have been moments when the progress of technology has taken great steps forward, when a combination of the right tools, a capacity for innovation, and sparks of ingenuity lead to breakthroughs that transform how we live our lives. How we produce and process information is critical to innovation – and our methods of recording and communicating information have themselves undergone great leaps. From the development of writing, to Gutenberg's printing press – which advanced the spread of knowledge to the masses and ushered in the enlightenment and scientific revolution – to the first programmable digital computer Colossus, the cost of reproducing and communicating information, or data, has fallen again and again. At the same time, tools for processing and making sense of large quantities of data have developed exponentially – with artificial intelligence (AI) representing the latest leap. In the same way that Gutenberg's press ushered in a new era of growth, data-driven technologies such as AI will underpin our future prosperity. There is no doubt that machine learning and AI is already improving peoples' lives, from intelligent personal assistants that can prepare us for changes in the weather, to systems that protect our money from criminals, or devices that offer medical advice from the comfort of our own home. And this is only the start; the potential of AI is undeniable. Our next challenge will be to harness this technology to transform how we diagnose diseases, manufacture goods and build our homes. Using advanced algorithmic techniques such as'deep learning', AI has the potential to solve complex problems fast, and in so doing, free up time and raise productivity. But we also need to make sure AI benefits everyone in the UK, which is why – in addition to this Sector Deal – the government is establishing a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to advise on the ethical use of data, including for AI. The huge global opportunity AI presents is why the Industrial Strategy white paper identified AI and data as 1 of 4 Grand Challenges – in which the UK can lead the world for years to come.

The government has unveiled the 16 centres set to deliver a £200m, five-year programme to train 2,000 PhD students in artificial intelligence specialisms. The initiative is a core part of the AI sector deal announced by Theresa May in 2018 and is supported by £100m from government, £78m from industry, and £23m from the participating universities. Google, AstraZeneca, Rolls-Royce and the NHS are among the organisations to have backed the programme. The sector deal was announced in April last year as the government faced criticism for failing to protect the UK's tech sector in the run up to Brexit. A report by the House of Lords had claimed the UK lagged behind Germany, Canada and South Korea when it came to AI, as well as world-leaders China and the US.

This timely seminar focuses on the next steps for developing the AI sector in the UK - with sessions discussing the research, investment, skills and ethical challenges which underpin its development. The conference will provide an opportunity to assess the progress of the AI Sector Deal - which sets out the Government's approach to skills, infrastructure, research and finance in the sector. Delegates will consider what has been learnt so far, what more is needed to support the sector, and priorities for the Office of Artificial Intelligence and AI Council - set up to realise the full potential of AI to the economy as part of the Sector Deal. Delegates will discuss the key priorities for meeting the UK's AI skills demand including retaining AI graduates, developing a diverse workforce, and upskilling and reskilling the existing workforce. It follows the skills and talent package announced by the Government in February to support the growth of a world-leading AI sector in the UK - which includes plans for new industry-funded AI Masters, and 16 dedicated UK Research and Innovation AI Centres for Doctoral Training at universities.

The UK is now third in the world for artificial intelligence (AI) investment, behind the US and China, after attracting more capital in six months than in all of 2018. AI investment in the UK reached £859.29m in that time, compared with £825.85m in the preceding 12 months, according to figures collected by business information resource Crunchbase. The figures show that the UK's AI sector is now in its fifth year of consecutive growth, with investment increasing almost six-fold between 2014 and 2018. The growth has predominately been fuelled by startups with 50 or fewer employees, which account for 89% of the UK's AI ecosystem. According to representatives from entrepreneurs network Tech Nation, the focus now needs to be on scaling the UK's existing AI business to capitalise on these investment trends.

Thousands of graduates to become qualified experts in artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a new joint government-industry package to drive up skills in the AI sector, Business Secretary Greg Clark and Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright announced today (21 February 2019). For the first time, the UK will have a nationwide programme of industry-funded AI Masters courses coupled with work-based placements. The new skills and talent package is a major milestone of the modern Industrial Strategy's AI Sector Deal which was launched in April 2018. The announcement comes as new figures prepared for Tech Nation by Dealroom.co The UK has long been a nation of innovators.

A £1.3 billion investment has been announced to help detect diseases earlier through the use of artificial intelligence as part of the government's second Life Sciences Sector Deal. The Accelerating Detection of Disease programme has been named as part of the deal, backed by private and public money. The programme, which is being led by Professor Sir John Bell, will bring together NHS, industry and leading charities including Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Alzheimer's Research UK. Backed by £79m of government funding, the programme will study five million healthy people with the aim of developing new diagnostic tests using AI. Sir Bell said: "This Sector Deal is another major step forward for the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy in the UK. It has been hugely enabled by government and will initiate new projects that will be a magnet for further investment. "Together, industry, charities, government and the NHS can tackle some of the major challenges to healthcare systems, including ageing and early diagnostics and, in doing so, can grow the economy and demonstrate what a modern Industrial Strategy looks like in action." The deal, which brings together 10 companies and is backed by wide range of organisations from across the sector, includes more than £1.3 billion of investment between the public and private sectors. This includes £1bn from biopharmaceutical company UCB and a £30m investment in the UK by healthcare company Roche. Around £20m of the money from Roche will be invested over three years in a precision cancer research partnership with the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. This will involve using genomic technology and big data to accelerate the next generation of digital clinical trials for rare cancers. Health secretary Matt Hancock, said: "I want the UK to have the most advanced health and care system on the planet.

This timely seminar will bring together key policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the next steps in the UK's AI policy. It takes place in the context of the Government's ambition for the UK to be a world leader on AI, and plans for investment in skills, infrastructure and research, as well as new finance for start-ups and scale-ups, and support for creating'clusters' of AI-focused businesses across the country outlined in the AI Sector Deal, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Grand Challenge in the Industrial Strategy.

The government must fully implement its artificial intelligence (AI) sector deal to ensure that the number of jobs created by AI and automation balance the number of jobs lost, PwC has stated in its latest report. IT organisations in the UK and across Europe are starting to accelerate the move to the cloud. Read more about the key areas in which senior IT managers are planning to invest in over the next 12 months. You forgot to provide an Email Address. This email address doesn't appear to be valid.

Industrial technology and engine specialist Rolls-Royce has joined forces with the Alan Turing Institute and the Hasso Plattner Institute to further its industrial artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital capabilities. The first of these partnerships was revealed by Internet of Business in its coverage of the UK's £1 billion Sector Deal for AI last week, but further details have since emerged. Business secretary Greg Clark is eager to present the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed between Rolls-Royce and the Alan Turing Institute, as being indicative of the UK government's new AI ambitions: "Advances in science, technology, and data are changing the way we live and work. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, and its landmark AI Sector Deal, we want to ensure the UK continues to be at the heart of this growing industry, reap the economic benefits, and deliver the transformational nature of this technology to people across the country. This agreement between The Alan Turing Institute and Rolls-Royce will make a valuable contribution in this pioneering field, bringing together the best minds from both institutions to develop the innovative AI solutions of tomorrow. Building on the pioneering work of its namesake, the Alan Turing Institute is the UK's not-for-profit institute for data science. The research body was formed by some of the country's leading universities and seeks to promote data science in the'age of algorithms'. Neil Crockett, chief digital officer, Rolls-Royce, commented:"This collaboration is about delivering real-world impact from AI technologies, but on an industrial scale.

More than 50 leading businesses and organisations have contributed to the development of a £1 billion deal to put the nation at the forefront of the artificial intelligence industry, featuring almost £300 million of new private sector investment. The deal between government and industry, announced by Business Secretary Greg Clark and Digital Secretary Matt Hancock today (Thursday 26 April 2018), also includes more than £300 million of newly allocated government funding for AI research to make the UK a global leader in this technology. Building on the commitment made in the government's modern Industrial Strategy and its AI Grand Challenge, the deal marks the first phase of a major innovation-focused investment drive in AI which aims to help the UK seize the £232 billion opportunity AI offers the UK economy by 2030 (10% of GDP). The Artificial intelligence Sector Deal follows record levels of investments into UK tech in 2017 and today's deal includes new investments such as: The UK must be at the forefront of emerging technologies, pushing boundaries and harnessing innovation to change people's lives for the better. Artificial Intelligence is at the centre of our plans to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a digital business.