The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, who met UCL researchers pioneering the use of AI in areas ranging from medical imaging to eye health, as well as addressing fundamental issues in AI applications.

Sir Keir and Mr Kyle were then given a tour of the Marshgate building’s Manufacturing Futures Lab – a world-class laboratory focused on the creation of next-generation manufacturing technologies.

Also attending the event was the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who, along with Sir Keir and Mr Kyle, was welcomed to UCL East by UCL’s President & Provost, Dr Michael Spence, Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), Professor Rachel McKendry (London Centre for Nanotechnology and Division of Medicine at UCL) and Professor Paola Lettieri, UCL Vice-Provost (Strategy).  

In his speech, the Prime Minister said the Government would take forward all 50 recommendations set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan authored by technology adviser and Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, Matt Clifford.

Dr Spence said: “We were delighted to welcome the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London to our new campus, UCL East, for the launch of the Government’s AI action plan.

“AI holds much promise for society and at UCL our researchers have long been using AI to benefit people and planet, for instance helping to reduce carbon emissions, enhance brain imaging, and improve how we diagnose disease.

“We are a global leader in AI research and innovation because we are part of an ecosystem that brings together students and world experts with industry - all supported by government, charitable and philanthropic funding.” 

Researchers who talked to Sir Keir and Mr Kyle about their work included Professor Parashkev Nachev (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) whose research is influencing areas as diverse as stroke care, neuropsychological assessment, clinical trials and NHS waiting lists; Professor Laura Shallcross (UCL Institute of Health Informatics) who is leading an AI/data project aiming to reduce infections in care homes; and Professor Pearse Keane (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) who is using AI to improve the detection and treatment of eye disease.

The round-table discussion also involved Professor Cathy Holloway (UCL Computer Science and co-founder of the Global Disability Innovation Hub), James Hetherington (Director of the Advanced Research Computing Centre at UCL and UCL Pro-Vice-Provost for Data Empowered Societies), Professor Benjamin Guedj (UCL Computer Science and Centre for Artificial Intelligence at UCL) and Professor Geraint Rees, who, in addition to his role as Vice-Provost, has pioneered the use of AI and machine learning for brain imaging.

Sir Keir told an audience of researchers, business leaders, media and politicians including Stratford and Bow MP Uma Kumaran, that AI could transform people’s lives by improving the treatment of disease, speeding up planning consultations, reducing admin for teachers and social workers and enabling cameras to spot potholes. 

The action plan, he said, aimed to make the UK the number one place for AI firms to invest. The key changes included:

  • Forging new AI Growth Zones to speed up planning proposals and build more AI infrastructure.
  • Increasing the public compute capacity by twentyfold to provide the processing power to fully embrace this new technology.
  • A new team will be set up to seize the opportunities of AI and build the UK's sovereign capabilities.
  • Creating a new National Data Library to safely and securely unlock the value of public data and support AI development.
  • A dedicated AI Energy Council chaired by the Science and Energy Secretaries will also be established, working with energy companies to understand the energy demands and challenges which will fuel the technology’s development. This will directly support the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower by tapping into technologies like small modular reactors.   

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It was brilliant to be at the new UCL East campus – one of the newest buildings at East Bank, the biggest single investment in London’s culture and education sectors for over 150 years – and hear these ambitious plans to use tech for good. AI is a cornerstone of the digital revolution and London is leading the way in education and training, research, development and innovation in this vital area.

“Having already supported local projects using AI to understand issues like air quality and flooding risks, I will continue to work with the Government on how AI can help improve public services, support the creation of new jobs and help boost London’s growth.”

The announcement came as three major tech companies – Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl – committed to £14 billion investment in the UK to build AI infrastructure. 

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Images

  • Top: The Prime Minister, Sir Keir, delivers his speech at the UCL Institute of Making in the Marshgate building.
  • Middle: Sir Keir and Mr Kyle talk to Dr Valerio Modugno (UCL Computer Science), Dr Dian Ning Chia and Dr Fanyi Duanmu (both UCL Chemical Engineering) at the Manufacturing Futures Lab.
  • Bottom: Professor Geraint Rees, Dr Michael Spence, Sir Keir Starmer, Professor Rachel McKendry and Peter Kyle.

Credit for all pictures: Andrew Parsons / Parsons Media.