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The pledge comes just days after scrapping the Conservative party’s £1.3 billion AI investment
The new Labour government has announced £32 million in funding for 98 AI projects designed to improve the UK’s productivity and public services.
In a press release published yesterday, the government confirmed that AI companies working on solutions such as improve safety on construction sites, reduce time spent repairing the railways and cut emissions across supply chains, will receive a share of the £32 million funding.
One such award company is Cambridge-based Monumo, part of a team who received £750,152 to improve the designs for motors in electric vehicles.
“AI will deliver real change for working people across the UK – not only growing our economy but improving our public services,” said Minister for Digital Government and AI Feryal Clark.
“We want technology to boost growth and deliver change right across the board, and I’m confident projects like these will help us realise that ambition,” she continued.
It must be noted that the funding call for this investment follows on from the opening of the competition last October ahead of the AI Safety Summit, which was launched under Rishi Sunak’s government.
Earlier this week, the government scrapped the £1.3 billion AI investment pledged by the Conservatives. The investments included £800 million to build a supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh, which would be able to complete one billion calculations each second, and £500 million to set up an AI Research Resource, which helps to fund computing power for AI. However, the recently launched AI action plan promises to put AI “at the heart of the government’s agenda”, and allowing AI in the UK to compete on the global stage.
Join the conversation around AI in the UK at this year’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get tickets here.