The Technology Secretary has urged a comprehensive restructuring of the UK’s foremost AI Institute, emphasizing defense and national security, as evidenced by a detailed letter advocating for leadership modifications.

Peter Kyle expressed that it is evident that additional measures are necessary to ensure that the government-backed Alan Turing Institute realizes its full potential.

In a letter to the ATI chair, which was reviewed by the Guardian, Kyle suggested that the institute’s focus should shift towards prioritizing defense, national security, and “sovereign capabilities,” referring to the ability of nations to regulate their own AI technologies.

Seeking new priorities implies that ATI’s current focus has been on health and environmental issues. Under the proposed “Turing 2.0” strategy, defense and security will become two of the lab’s three main areas of concentration.

“Advancements in defense and national security initiatives should be central to ATI’s operations, and ties with the UK’s security, defense, and intelligence reporting communities should be reinforced accordingly,” Kyle stated.

Revealing that the Turing 2.0 strategy falls short of governmental expectations, Kyle expressed his desire for a change in ATI’s leadership.

“In order to achieve this vision, it is crucial that ATI’s leadership aligns with the institute’s newly defined focus,” he wrote as first reported by Politico. “While we recognize the current leadership’s achievements in reforming the institute during challenging times, we must carefully evaluate the importance of having management with relevant experience and industry knowledge to guide this transition.”

ATI is chaired by Doug Gurr, the former head of Amazon’s UK operations and interim chair of the UK competition watchdog.

The Institute is undergoing a reorganization under CEO Jean Innes, with indications that one in five employees may place ATI’s reliability in “serious jeopardy.” Late last year, ATI expanded its staff by 440, but has since initiated a redundancy process.

Although ATI operates with nominal independence, it recently secured £100 million from the government under a five-year funding agreement. The letter indicated that ATI’s “long-term funding arrangement” could be assessed next year. Kyle noted that the government intends to maintain its current levels of research and development in national security and defense over the next three years while increasing the number of defense and national security personnel integrated into the lab.

Dame Wendy Hall, a professor of computer science at the University of Southampton and co-chair of the 2017 Government AI Review, cautioned that the proposed changes would result in ATI no longer functioning as a national laboratory.

“If the lab centers on defense and security, it won’t serve as a national lab for AI,” Hall remarked. “The scope is too narrow. If the government seeks an AI lab focused solely on defense and security, it should explicitly state that.”

In February, the government demonstrated its focus on national security within its AI strategy by renaming the AI Safety Institute, which was established under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Kyle’s letter labeled the government’s 50-point AI action plan as a “demonstration” of the UK’s AI ambitions. The plan aims for a 20-fold increase in publicly managed AI computing resources by 2030, with a goal of integrating AI into the public sector.

An ATI representative stated that the institute is committed to “critical missions” supporting the UK, including defense and national security.

“We align with the government’s vision of AI to enhance the UK, welcome acknowledgment of our pivotal role, collaborate closely with the government to advance its priorities, and continue to provide scientific and innovative contributions for the public good,” the spokesperson affirmed.

The Departments of Science, Innovation, and Technology asserted that these proposed changes represent a “natural progression” for ATI following the renaming of the Safety Institute.

“We believe these suggested changes not only ensure that the Alan Turing Institute delivers genuine value but also play a significant role in safeguarding our national security,” the spokesperson concluded.