The Scottish capital has featured in the top five UK cities for AI readiness, according to new research.

Glasgow and Edinburgh appear in the top 15, with the Scottish capital having the second highest number of AI-related courses overall.

The capital has 13 AI-related university MSc courses, the highest in the country and sitting second only behind Birmingham with 17, while Glasgow has 11.

Edinburgh also has some of the highest GDP per head, according to the collected data, at £48,718, but falls to seventh on the list for research and development funding at £126.18 million.

Cambridge University scored highest in the AI-readiness Index, which was carried out by AI and analytics specialist SAS.

SAS’s index is compiled from seven criteria, including the number of AI-related MSc courses and job ads, tech meetups and amount of investment from Innovate UK in a town or city.

Commenting on the research, Glyn Townsend, Senior Director of Education Services at SAS for Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “AI, machine learning (ML) and data analytics are transforming the way businesses and other organisations operate, and the fact that so many cities are embracing it as a positive sign.

“Many, such as Manchester and Salford, are outside London and the South East, which is good news for the government’s ‘levelling up’ plans.”

The analysis also revealed which parts of the UK are least prepared to utilise AI to its full potential, and benefit from the jobs and investment it can bring.

In this category, Inverness has been revealed as the least AI-ready Scottish city, scoring just 62 on the index.

SUS suggested that these areas require critical infrastructure to level-up, including 5G and superfast broadband, as well as vocational training opportunities in tech.

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Townsend continued: “At the same time, our research also shows large discrepancies between the most and least-prepared areas. Size and the remoteness of the location might explain why some are lagging behind – but it’s important they’re given opportunities to get up to speed.

“For a start, the UK doesn’t have enough data talent to meet demand for AI, so we need to increase the talent pool with more opportunities for people to upskill and reskill, instead of only relying on graduates.”

Data revealed a lack of AI-related jobs, courses and investment in the devolved nations overall – with Inverness only having one relevant MSc courses in the bottom 10.

Additionally, the research found that there are no tech meet-ups within five miles of any of the towns and cities listed in the bottom 10, indicating little or no tech scene present to attract possible AI talented.

Townsend added: “Government figures show there are up to 234,000 vacancies for ‘hard data skills’, yet only a potential supply of 10,000 graduates per year.

“We need to look to supplement this with clear learning paths and career progression for others too, such as Modern Apprenticeships, and continual learning. Businesses should also take real advantage of the apprenticeship levy, and the significant return on investment that training provides.”

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