Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has asked the National Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI) of the UK to refux on defense and security to his owners.
In a letter, Kyle said that promoting the UK AI capabilities was “important” for national security and should be at the core of the activities of the Allen Turing Institute.
Kyle suggested that the institute should overhala to reflect its “renewed objective”.
The cabinet minister said that the institute would depend on the “distribution of vision” mentioned in the further government investment letter in the institute.
A spokesman at the Allen Turing Institute said that he would “welcome our recognition of our important role and continue working with the government to support his priorities”.
The spokesperson said, “Turing is focusing on turing high-effects missions, which support the UK sovereignty AI abilities including defense and national security.”
“We share AI’s government’s vision to change the UK for better.”
The letter comes after the Prime Minister Sir Kire Stmper, which is committed to the NATO alliance, which increases the UK defense spending up to 5% national income by 2035 and invests more in military uses of AI technology.
recently Government review of UK Defense Said “an immediate priority for force changes should be a change towards autonomy and greater use of artificial intelligence”.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s government was established in 2015 as the National Institute for Data Science, the institute added AI to its remit after two years.
It receives public money and a grant of £ 100M was given by the previous Orthodox government last year.
The work of the Turing Institute has focused on AI and Data Science Research in three main areas – environmental stability, health and national security.
Recently, the institute has focused more on the responsible AI and morality, and one of its recent reports was on the increasing use of technology by romance scammers.
But Kyle’s letter shows that the government wants the Turing Institute to give its main priority to defense, which will be an important axis for the organization.
“There is an opportunity for ATI to seize this moment,” Kyle, the president of the institute, Dr. Wrote in the letter to Douglas Gur.
“I believe that the institute should create its existing powers, and improve itself further to prioritize its defense, national security and sovereign abilities.”
It has been a turbulent for a few months for the institute, which finds itself in survival mode in 2025.
Last year a review by UK Research and Innovation, Government Funding Body, “found a clear requirement to develop the apparent requirement of the institute’s governance and leadership structure”.
At the end of 2024, a letter was signed by employees of 93 employees, expressing lack of trust in their leadership team.
In March, in July 2023, Chief Executively appointed Jean Ines said that Turing needs to be modernized and focused on AI projects, An interview with Financial Times,
He said, “A large strategic change for a much more concentrated agenda on a small number of problems affecting the real world”.
In April, Chief Scientist Mark Girolami said in an interview The organization will take only 22 projects forward from a portfolio of 104.
Kyle’s letter states that the institute should “get the funds required to implement reforms and give Turing 2.0”.
But he said that next year ATI’s “long -term funding system” could be reviewed.
The use of AI in defense is as powerful as controversial.
Google’s original company alphabet faced criticism for lifting self-flooded ban on developing AI weapons earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the British Army and other forces are already investing in AI-competent devices.
The government’s defense review stated that AI technologies will “provide more accuracy, lethargy and affordable capabilities”.
The review states that “unkred and autonomous system” can be used within the traditional forces of the UK within the next five years.
In an example, the review states that the Royal Navy can use “acoustic detection system” run by Artificial Intelligence, which monitors the under -growing water threat “with a modern Russian submarine force.
Tech firm Palantir has provided data operation software to the UK armed forces.
Palantir UK head Luis Mosley told the BBC that the institute’s attention was a good idea to transfer the attention of the institute to AI Defense Technologies.
He said: “Right now we face a difficult combination of dark bright and technical revolution – the world is becoming a more dangerous place with the world when artificial intelligence is changing war and preventive face.
“This means in practice that we are now in the AI ​​weapons race against our opponents.
“And the government is true that we need to keep all the resources that we have to stay ahead – because this is our best way to preserve peace.”
Additional Reporting by Senior Technology Reporter Chris Wallance
