A new report, Growing the artificial intelligence industry in the UK co-published by the UK government’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport departments has called for a ‘comprehensive programme of support’ for the country’s AI sector.

The report makes a number of recommendations including:

• the development of “data trusts, to improve trust and ease around sharing data,” to make “more research data machine readable”, and to support “text and data mining”
• A range of academic initiatives, including an industry-funded Masters programme in AI, 200 PhD places in AI, and ‘conversion courses’ for candidates from outside the disciplines of computer and data science.
• businesses should be proactively educated about the value AI can bring to deliver process improvements, and that the public sector should be supported to avail itself of the technology
• publicly funding the open publication (wherever possible) of data from academic research in machine-readable formats with clear rights information
• the creation of a UK AI Council, drawn from industry and academic sectors
• an expansion of The Department for International Trade’s support programme for AI companies

As an example of the potential of Artificial Intelligence, the report highlights healthcare, where “data from smartphones and fitness trackers that is analysed using new machine learning techniques can improve management of chronic conditions as well as predicting and preventing acute episodes of illness.”

The UK’s AI Legacy

The report notes the UK’s long legacy in the creation of artificial intelligence, with celebrated pioneers such as Alan Turing, Donald Michie and Christopher Strachey all contributing to the country’s expertise in the field.

The report recommends that The Alan Turing Institute, created in 2015, should become the National Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

It goes onto recommend that government-funded Turing AI Fellowships be established to enable experts from around the world to work with and within the UK.

The report states: “because of the UK’s current and historical strengths in this area we are in a strong position to lead rather than follow in both the development of the technology and its deployment in all sectors of industry, education and government.

“We have a choice. The UK could stay among the world leaders in AI in the future, or allow other countries to dominate.”

Looking To the Future

The report includes data from Accenture to estimate that A.I. could add an additional £630 billion to the UK economy by 2035, increasing the annual growth rate of gross value add from 2.5% to 3.9%.

In a press statement referring to the report, culture secretary Karen Bradley said: “I want the UK to lead the way in artificial intelligence. It has the potential to improve our everyday lives – from healthcare to robots that perform dangerous tasks.”

Business secretary Greg Clark added: “This important review exemplifies the world-class expertise the UK already has in AI, demonstrating the huge social and economic benefits its use can bring. We will continue to work with the sector in the coming months to secure a comprehensive Sector Deal that makes the UK the go-to place for AI and helps us grasp the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Broad Definition

The report uses an inclusive definition of artificial intelligence from The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council: “Artificial intelligence technologies aim to reproduce or surpass abilities (in computational systems) that would require ‘intelligence’ if humans were to perform them. These include: learning and adaptation; sensory understanding and interaction; reasoning and planning; optimisation of procedures and parameters; autonomy; creativity; and extracting knowledge and predictions from large, diverse digital data.”