Rishi Sunak unveils new £100million fund geared towards developing a ‘safe’ AI technology
- The PM says new AI models have ‘enormous opportunities to grow our economy’
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Rishi Sunak yesterday unveiled a £100million fund to help develop a ‘safe’ form of artificial intelligence in the UK.
The Prime Minister said that AI models such as ChatGPT had the potential to create ‘enormous opportunities to grow our economy, create better, well-paid jobs and build a better future through advances in healthcare and security’.
But, speaking at a conference, Mr Sunak acknowledged the need to also ‘protect ourselves against the risks the technology may pose’.
Last week, the head of GCHQ Sir Jeremy Fleming warned that rapid developments in AI could lead to an explosion in disinformation.
Downing Street declined to comment in detail on the briefing, but said Jeremy had highlighted the ‘potential for disinformation and the importance of people being aware of it’.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pictured during a Business Connect event in North London
This month, Italy became the first Western country to ban the popular application Chat GPT over privacy concerns.
Elon Musk and senior AI industry executives have called for a six-month ‘pause’ in the development of the technology to allow society to consider the potential risks.
MPs have called for a global summit to address the potential risks of AI before the technology is taken forward.
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But a government source said that trying to pause the technology was ‘not the answer’.
A new government taskforce will attempt to develop ‘safe and reliable’ applications for AI to ensure the UK remains ‘globally competitive in this strategic technology’.
Government sources said the technology could add billions to the UK economy in the coming years, and that embracing it fully could treble productivity rates.
Ministers believe the technology could also have broad applications in healthcare, including rapid diagnosis and faster development of new drugs.
The new taskforce will look to launch pilot schemes for the wider use of AI in delivering public services within the next six months.
Science Secretary Michelle Donelan said: ‘Developed responsibly, cutting-edge AI can have a transformative impact in nearly every industry.
‘It can revolutionise the way we develop new medical treatments, tackle climate change and improve our public services, all while growing and future-proofing our economy.
‘We need to act now to seize the opportunities AI can offer us in the future. We’re backing our expert taskforce with the funding to make our ambitions for an AI-enabled country a reality and keep the UK at the front of the pack in this emerging technology.’
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