The UK government has shelved a £1.3bn plan for investment in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) projects.
The funding included an £800m exascale supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh and £500m set aside to invest in computing power for the AI Research Resource.
While the funds were promised to the relevant institutions through creation by the previous Conservative government, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has said they were never allocated in its budget.
Difficult decisions
“The government is taking difficult and necessary spending decisions across all departments in the face of billions of pounds of unfunded commitments. This is essential to restore economic stability and deliver on our national mission of growth,” DSIT said in a statement.
The Conservatives have pushed back on this point, saying DSIT had spent less than anticipated, with shadow secretary Andrew Griffith saying: “Indeed, at the time the election was called, officials had informed ministers that the department was likely to spend less than anticipated in its budget for the current financial year.”
“Our commitment across government to science, research and innovation, including the UK’s leadership on AI, has been extraordinary,” Griffith continued.
The Edinburgh supercomputer, which the university had already spent £31m building to house the project, was expected to be 50 times faster than any other computer in the UK.
A page on the University’s website said: “Exascale will help researchers model all aspects of the world, test scientific theories, and improve products and services in areas such as artificial intelligence, drug discovery, climate change, astrophysics, and advanced engineering.”
Speaking to BBC NewsSue Daly, director of technology and innovation at TechUK, said: “Investment in large-scale computing is vital for the scientific breakthroughs that will grow our economy and improve our lives. The UK has sent clear signals about its ambitions to host a new generation of computers that will enable cutting-edge research, including artificial intelligence.”
“In an extremely competitive global environment, the government needs to come up with new proposals quickly. Otherwise, we will lose out to our peers,” Daly concluded.
