The £1.3bn funding promised by the Conservatives for technology and artificial intelligence projects has been put on hold by the new Labour government, raising concerns about the future of the UK’s first next-generation supercomputer.
Last year, the government announced plans to allocate £800 million for an exascale supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh, and an additional £500 million for AI research resources. However, these projects are now considered “unfunded commitments” as the funding was promised but not included in the budget.
A spokesman emphasized the government’s commitment to building technology infrastructure for growth and opportunity in the UK, despite having to make difficult spending decisions due to unfunded commitments.
While £300 million of funding for AI research resources has been secured, shadow science secretary Andrew Griffiths expressed concern that the lack of funding could impact the UK tech industry and research efforts.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle highlighted the importance of AI in government policy to drive growth and improve public services, with tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford leading the development of an action plan to harness AI opportunities.
The uncertainty surrounding the funding means the future of Edinburgh’s exascale supercomputer remains unclear. This groundbreaking machine will significantly advance computing capabilities and enable research in various fields.
The University of Edinburgh believes that the exascale supercomputer will revolutionize research across multiple disciplines, including artificial intelligence, drug discovery, climate change, astrophysics, and advanced engineering.
Source: www.theguardian.com
