UK puts £100m into "world-first" AI biosecurity facility
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey.
The UK government will unveil a major investment package in AI in the Autumn Budget this week, headlined by £100 million ($134 million) in funding for a new AI Biosecurity Lab (AIBL).
The aim is to consolidate and build the UK's position in AI – viewed in some quarters to be in third place globally, albeit distantly, behind the US and China – and "guard against the risks of AI while harnessing the opportunities to raise living standards for working people, back British industry, and ensure our country is better off," said HM Treasury in a statement.
The "world-first" AIBL launches with up to £300 million in committed funding, with the other £200 million coming from tech companies OpenAI and Anthropic, according to the government. It will be tasked with defending the country against emerging biological threats, coordinating the efforts of the UK’s national biosecurity centres and life science companies.
It will also partner with Google DeepMind and UK AI life sciences company Basecamp Research on research collaborations and AI for science tools, and "operate with sufficient autonomy to move with the speed and focus of a frontier AI–bio company," said the statement.
Ahead of his Budget statement on Wednesday, Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey said he will set out "a distinctively British approach to AI - one that doesn’t leave workers behind and defends our national interest, while ensuring the benefits of AI-enabled growth are felt right across the country."
The AIBL is part of the £165 million proposed spend on a National AI Biosecurity Initiative, with the other £65 million earmarked for strengthening bio surveillance and developing medical countermeasures for priority pathogens.
Another £120 million investment will go to the AI Security Institute (AISI), first set up in 2023, to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of understanding AI capabilities and risks, while £60 million will go to the Sovereign AI Fund to enhance its ability to invest directly in promising UK AI companies.
"Our new AI Biosecurity Lab will be a major new global institution, bringing together world-leading scientific expertise to protect people from emerging biological threats and ensure Britain leads the world in AI safety and security," said AI Minister Kanishka Narayan.
"We cannot afford to rely entirely on technology built overseas. By backing British science, advanced chips and our own AI companies, we can strengthen our national security, rebuild Britain’s industrial strength and create good, skilled jobs across the country."
