Tag: Department for Science Innovation and Technology

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 16 November 2023.

Super-complaints process is designed to help Ofcom stay on top of systemic harmful trends and emerging threats.

Children’s charities, free speech advocates and other groups could, for the first time, raise online safety and freedom of expression concerns directly to Ofcom through a “super-complaint” under a proposal unveiled by the government today (Thursday 16 November).

Under the Online Safety Act, social media companies have been given new duties to protect children, enforce the promises they make to users and remove illegal content, or they will face huge fines from Ofcom. Individuals will report harmful and illegal content to social media platforms, and it is their responsibility to tackle this within the law.

The super-complaints process is designed to help Ofcom stay on top of systemic harmful trends and emerging threats by letting organisations, such as charities and consumer groups, raise new concerns as soon as they emerge. They will play an essential role in keeping the internet safe by ensuring that Ofcom are made aware of issues in a quick and reliable way, so it can take action in its new role as a regulator of online platforms.

In a consultation published today, the government is seeking views from expert groups to help define who can make super-complaints, the conditions and format of a super-complaint, and expectations on how Ofcom should respond to each complaint.

For example, a super-complaint could notify Ofcom of a new social media feature used on multiple services that subjects children to harmful content, such as violent or pornographic images, or flag that platforms are consistently failing to take down illegal content they have a duty to remove.

Similarly, a campaign group may raise that a social media platform’s content moderation systems are consistently removing legal content that their terms of service don’t prohibit, undermining freedom of expression on the platform.

Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:

The Online Safety Act makes the UK the safest place in the world to be online, but we need to be sure Ofcom is ready to respond to any emerging online safety issues as soon as they arise.

The super-complaints process will allow organisations to make Ofcom aware of new challenges quickly and efficiently, making sure the ambition and promise of the Online Safety Act can keep pace with evolving trends, protecting people online for decades to come.”

The detail of how this “super-complaints” process will work will be informed by the consultation the government launched today, which will ask for views on the super-complaints process and how this can be managed swiftly and easily.

Organisations that will be allowed to raise super-complaints will meet the criteria established in this consultation, ensuring that the regulator is only made aware of legitimate, considered complaints, allowing it to deal with said complaints in a timely and effective manner, and establishing how Ofcom deals with those complaints.

Super-complaints, which are intended to help Ofcom stay on top of harmful trends and emerging threats, may lead the regulator to act against issues raised by using its new powers under the Online Safety Act. This could include updating Codes of Practice or investigating whether a particular service is complying with the new law, or face fines that reach billions of pounds.

Super-complaints processes already exist in other sectors. For example, the Competition and Markets Authority has a similar process that allows certain consumer bodies to request that regulators investigate markets or market practices that they think are significantly harming the interests of consumers.

Gill Whitehead, Ofcom’s Online Safety Group Director, said:

Protecting children and protecting free speech are key pillars of the UK’s groundbreaking new online safety laws. Campaigners’ voices have helped lay the foundations, and we want to continue hearing from them as we build a safer life online.

We’ve assembled a world-class a team so we can keep a close eye on issues as they emerge, and we’ve already set out our first blueprint for what tech firms need to do to tackle illegal harms. But we won’t be doing this alone, and we’re looking forward to working with a broad coalition of experts.

The Online Safety Act, which received Royal Assent on Thursday 26 October, makes Britain the safest place in the world to live and work online. It protects children from online harm, empowers adults to exercise greater control over what they see on social media, and places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content.

Today’s super-complaints consultation launch follows the publication of Ofcom’s own major consultation last week, that seeks to establish how tech firms will protect their users from illegal harms online.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 16 November 2023.

Ten regions spanning from Glasgow to the West Midlands in the UK are set to benefit from a £36 million fund aimed at expediting innovation driven by 5G technology.

Local areas across the UK will be helped to boost their digital connectivity and adopt advanced wireless technologies, including drones to monitor crops and livestock, smart systems to reduce congestion, and portable 5G networks to enable super-fast live broadcast from remote locations.

Announced today, ten winning multi-local authority areas spanning all four parts of the UK will receive a share of £36 million as they become 5G Innovation Regions (5GIRs). The funding will drive the development and adoption of 5G and other advanced wireless technologies – making sure communities in towns, cities and rural areas take full advantage of the benefits advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies can provide and attract commercial investment to grow the economy.

Amongst those set to benefit is Glasgow City Region who will receive over £3 million to deliver a health and social care focused project that will use advanced wireless technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart city applications, to make public services better. The project will specifically focus on monitoring and maintaining assets, creating environmentally friendly social housing, and improving the monitoring of health and social care services.

Elsewhere, Greater Manchester Combined Authority will receive over £3 million, part of which will be used to 5G-enable hundreds of air source heat pumps across social housing in the region. By using 5G the UK will accelerate the creation of Smart Energy Grids and bring forward benefits for residents, industry and public services by allowing them to better monitor energy use and save money on their bills.

A key commitment from the government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, the 5G Innovation Regions programme is designed to boost innovation in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, transport, agriculture, creative industries, and public services, helping to create better connected places across the UK. These projects will stimulate demand for 5G connectivity, bringing the government’s vision of unlocking the power of cutting-edge 5G wireless and digital technologies to life, with research showing widespread adoption could result in productivity benefits of £159 billion by 2035.

Today’s announcement comes as a new advisory group with representatives from all four parts of the UK is launched. The board will support local areas to put recommendations to government on how to support their digital connectivity goals, encourage investment, and promote adoption at a local level.

Minister of Data and Digital Infrastructure Sir John Whittingdale said:

We’re channelling millions into local areas to unlock the potential of cutting-edge 5G wireless and digital technologies which will reshape our public services, drive economic growth and boost innovation. This new fund will give local areas from across the country the opportunity to be at the forefront of Britain’s world-leading 5G revolution.

For instance, by using 5G for farming and creating science parks, we’re not just helping local communities, but also encouraging new ideas all over the UK. This is more than just linking smartphones. It’s about using powerful digital connections to transform various sectors in the economy and the public sector throughout the entire country.

UK Government minister for Scotland, John Lamont, said:

The UK government is committed to ensuring the potential of 5G is felt across the UK and I am delighted that Glasgow City Council, North Ayrshire Council and the Borderlands Region will between them receive almost £11 million to help with this.

Scotland has a history of being at the forefront of innovation and technology and this funding will make sure this remains the case. All the areas will use this technology to help people’s lives, Glasgow through improving the monitoring of health and social care services, North Ayrshire will accelerate the adoption of digital and wireless technologies and the Borderlands Region will help increase tourism.

The successful regions will lead on delivering the government’s vision set out in the UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April, for communities across the UK to take full advantage of the transformative effect that advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies can provide. This forms part of the UK government’s wider ambition to drive telecoms innovation, ensuring more secure and resilient networks and a more diverse and competitive supply chain.

Each region faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities related to their location, local industries, and technology needs so the programme will demonstrate the scalability, replicability, and sustainability of each project, before disseminating project learnings and benefits.

Projects set to receive funding.

Belfast City Council – £3.8 million
Use 5G tech to digitise port operations; ‘5G-in-a-box’ technology for high-capacity uplinks for on-location filming and production studios; and exploiting advanced wireless connectivity on transport routes.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority – £3 million
5G-enabled heat pumps to accelerate the creation of Smart Energy Grids; and a digital road network to reduce congestion and carbon emissions .

West Midlands Combined Authority – £3.8 million
Scale proven 5G applications in advanced manufacturing and smart communities through new adoption hubs.

Oxfordshire County Council – £3.8 million
Creation of 5G Science Parks at the Harwell campus in Oxfordshire supporting R&D in Quantum, Space, Health, and Energy Clusters.

North Ayrshire Council – £3.8 million
New Regional Strategic Wireless Innovation Hubs will place Ayrshire as a UK leader in advanced manufacturing by accelerating the adoption of digital and wireless technologies.

Sussex County Council – £3.8 million
Develop and scale 5G applications to support future farming and growing practices that increase sustainable food and drink productivity.

Cumberland Council – £3.8 million
Use 5G and advanced wireless tech at key sites across the Borderlands Region to demonstrate how it can help build the tourist economy, protect the environment and local businesses.

Shropshire Council – £3.7 million
Embed advanced wireless connectivity technology at the heart of technological innovation across rural industries, water management and public services.

Sunderland City Council – £3.8 million
5G-enabled port operations to enhance port competitiveness and safety, and Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems that improve road transport efficiency.

Glasgow City Council – £3.2 million
Use Internet of Things and smart city applications for Asset Monitoring and Maintenance, Net Zero Social Housing, and Health and Social Care Monitoring.

The UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) will also run a nationwide programme to drive the adoption of 5G and advanced communication technologies in key economic sectors, including manufacturing, health and social care, transport and logistics, and agricultural technology. UKTIN will be working closely with the 5G Innovation Regions, including through place based working groups, helping businesses and places from across all parts of the UK benefit from access to this transforming technology.

Nick Johnson, Head of the UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) said:

We’re thrilled to see the recipients of the 5G Innovation Regions fund encompassing a broad range of places across the country, helping to boost the adoption of advanced communication technologies across a range of vertical sectors.

While this is fantastic news for the ten regions chosen, UKTIN will play a pivotal role in taking their innovations and learnings to the whole of the UK.

We will collaborate with successful regions to overcome adoption hurdles and deliver best practice and insights to communities across the country, so that all regions and nations can benefit from the lessons being learned through both 5G Innovation Regions and other relevant initiatives.

Hamish MacLeod, Chief Executive of Mobile UK said:

The announcement of the winning innovation regions, backed up by £36 million of government funding, is a welcome step towards spurring innovation in 5G and mobile connectivity.

We look forward to working with the winning regions in demonstrating the significant potential of 5G technologies to revamp and modernise public services across the country.

Improved connectivity through 5G and advanced wireless technologies could have a transformative effect on local areas, providing faster, more reliable, and more secure connectivity for residents and businesses, boosting local economies, and improving the delivery of public services.

The press release issued by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology on 15 November 2023.

Changes will ensure regulator cannot impose an intervention on a firm unless it is proportionate to do so.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill is set to introduce a new targeted and proportionate regulatory regime to address concerns around competition in the digital industry while ensuring that the UK remains one of the best places to invest in and innovate new technology.

At the heart of the Bill is a new approach to digital market regulation, allowing the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to intervene quickly and flexibly to promote competition.

Amendments to the Bill proposed by the government today (Wednesday 15 November) will maintain the appeals process for all regulatory decisions (except fines) on the basis of judicial review principles. This will mean that eligible tech firms can challenge regulatory decisions on proportionality grounds through this process.

This approach will enable the CMA to encourage the most powerful firms in dynamic digital markets to work with regulators to ensure competition is maintained on an ongoing basis, rather than allowing legal challenges to cause the regime to get bogged down in the courts. This will also act as a further incentive on the CMA to ensure that it is always acting proportionately and exploring the intervention that is most likely to achieve the best outcome for consumers.

Under the Bill, certain firms may also be subject to fines that could reach tens of billions of pounds. To make sure these huge fines are balanced by rigorous checks and balances, these firms will now be able to challenge these decisions “on their merits”. These changes allow firms to challenge fines on the substance of the decision, as well as the process to reach that decision.

The legislation will also make clear that the regulator cannot impose a conduct requirement or pro-competition intervention on a firm unless it is proportionate to do so and there is a strong evidence base behind the intervention.

These amendments bring the digital markets regime in line with the approach taken for decisions under the CMA’s Mergers and Markets regimes, where the decisions about the level of a fine can be appealed on the merits.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Minister, Saqib Bhatti, said:

Britain was the third country in the world to build a trillion-dollar tech sector, and our fastest growing firms continue to pull in more capital than counterparts in France and Germany combined. Free competition is key to keeping the wheels turning this vital, complex industry as it turbocharges growth across the UK.

This Bill addresses barriers to competition that are unique to digital markets by taking a bespoke and flexible approach, backed up by strong new powers.

The changes we are making ensure that the regulator takes proportionate action and avoids undue regulatory burdens, while remaining accountable for decisions that will have far-reaching economic consequences.

Following extensive engagement across the technology industry, amendments proposed by the government today make sure that the regulator’s interventions will always be proportionate to addressing the harm being caused to consumers and competition.

Further amendments today also boost the consideration of consumers by making the regulator set out its reasoning for intervening in a market, including how this will tangibly benefit consumers.

This Bill uses the freedoms gained by the UK after leaving the European Union to enhance digital competition to drive growth and benefit consumers. Under the new powers granted by the Bill, the CMA will prioritise its interventions according to the evidence of harms and will target those by creating bespoke remedies.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill is expected to save consumers £9.7 billion over 10 years as UK consumers benefit from new rights, stronger law enforcement, and more competition including through merger control.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 8 November 2023.

Parliamentary carry-over of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill confirmed in yearly speech.

A wealth of new laws that will unleash competition in digital markets, prevent spam calls and foster innovation in emerging technologies like machine learning have been announced as part of the government’s legislative agenda in the King’s Speech.

As part of the yearly speech to the House of Lords, which sets out the government’s legislative agenda for this parliamentary session, King Charles III set out the carry-over of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill to continue their progress into the next parliamentary term, which the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is delivering.

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

Today’s King’s Speech is a win for businesses and consumers, with our vital legislation set to unlock billions of pounds of benefits to business and tackle issues like nuisance calls that have plagued the public for too long.

It is an overwhelming show of support for driving innovation and growth across the country too. Our digital markets law will make sure every tech start-up has the opportunity to succeed, fuelling the engines of economic growth by opening doors for British firms to unleash innovation across the globe.

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will secure better outcomes for consumers and businesses by driving innovation and addressing the root causes of competition issues in digital markets, seeking to better level the playing field across the technology sector.

As part of the Bill, a Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the Competition and Markets Authority will be given new powers to address the far-reaching power of a small number of tech companies. This market dominance has stifled innovation and growth across the economy, holding back start-ups and smaller firms from accessing markets and consumers.

Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

The King’s Speech also made reference to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which will see tougher punishments for those who pester people with unwanted calls and messages. In 2022, there were around 59,800 reports of nuisance communications made to the Information Commissioner, but these new measures are expected to slash the number of calls being made.

The Bill sets out common-sense data laws that will give organisations greater flexibility to protect personal data, while maintaining high data protection standards. The legal changes will improve the UK’s ability to strike international data deals and make these partnerships more secure, allowing British businesses to seize billions of pounds of data trade as a reward of Brexit.

The reforms to UK data laws also aim to reduce the number of consent pop-ups people see online, which repeatedly ask users to give permission for websites to collect data about their visits.

The Bill will also make it easier and quicker for people to verify their identity digitally, if they want to – reducing the need to carry around ID such as passports and drivers’ licences by establishing a framework for the use of trusted and secure digital verification services.

Other announcements

Plans to introduce a new legal framework to encourage innovation in new technologies such as machine learning was also announced, helping to drive new and emerging technologies which will boost jobs and grow the economy.

Plans to introduce a new legal framework to encourage innovation in new technologies such as machine learning was also announced, helping to drive new and emerging technologies which will boost jobs and grow the economy.

A new Criminal Justice Bill led by the Home Office was also announced that will ensure people who take intimate images of others.

This will build on the Online Safety Act, which last month received Royal Assent and made it easier to convict someone who shares intimate images without consent and new laws will further criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate deepfakes. The change in laws also now make it easier to charge abusers who share intimate images and put more offenders behind bars. Criminals found guilty of this base offence will face up to 6 months in prison, but those who threaten to share such images, or shares them with the intent to cause distress, alarm or humiliation, or to obtain sexual gratification, could face up to two years behind bars.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 2 November 2023.

The Science Minister George Freeman outlines the recipients of over £14 million in funding, aimed at benefiting the UK’s thriving quantum sector.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 1 November 2023.

Leading AI nations, organisations and experts meet at Bletchley Park today to discuss the global future of AI and work towards a shared understanding of risks.

Leading AI nations, businesses, civil society and AI experts will convene at Bletchley Park today (Wednesday 1 November) for the first ever AI Safety Summit where they’ll discuss the global future of AI and work towards a shared understanding of its risks.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan will open the event by welcoming an expert cast list before setting out the UK government’s vision for safety and security to be at the heart of advances in AI, in order to enable the enormous opportunities it will bring.

She will look to make progress on the talks which will pave the way for a safer world by identifying risks, opportunities and the need for international collaboration, before highlighting consensus on the scale, importance and urgency for AI opportunities and the necessity for mitigating frontier AI risks to unlock them.

The historic venue will play host to the landmark 2-day summit, which will see a small, but focused group comprising of AI companies, civil society and independent experts gather around the table to kickstart urgent talks on the risks and opportunities posed by rapid advances in frontier AI – especially ahead of new models launching next year, whose capabilities may not be fully understood.

The US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and China are among nations confirmed as attendees at the AI Safety Summit. Representatives from The Alan Turing Institute, The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Ada Lovelace Institute are also among the groups confirmed to attend, highlighting the depth of expertise of the delegates who are expected to take part in crucial talks.

As set out by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week, the summit will focus on understanding the risks such as potential threats to national security right through to the dangers a loss of control of the technology could bring. Discussions around issues likely to impact society, such as election disruption and erosion of social trust are also set to take place.

The UK already employs over 50,000 people in the AI sector and contributes ​​£3.7 billion to our economy annually. Additionally, the UK is home to twice as many AI companies as any other European country, and hundreds more AI companies start up in the UK every year, growing our economy and creating more jobs.

As such, day one of the summit will also host several roundtable discussions dedicated to improving frontier AI safety with key UK based developers such as Open-AI, Anthropic and UK based Deepmind. Delegates will consider how risk thresholds, effective safety assessments, and robust governance and accountability mechanisms can be defined to enable the safe scaling of frontier AI by developers.

Secretary of State for Technology, Michelle Donelan MP said:

AI is already an extraordinary force for good in our society, with limitless opportunity to grow the global economy, deliver better public services and tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.

But the risks posed by frontier AI are serious and substantive and it is critical that we work together, both across sectors and countries to recognise these risks.

This summit provides an opportunity for us to ensure we have the right people with the right expertise gathered around the table to discuss how we can mitigate these risks moving forward. Only then will we be able to truly reap the benefits of this transformative technology in a responsible manner.

Discussions are expected to centre around the risks emerging from rapid advances in AI, before exploring the transformative opportunities the technology has to offer – including in education and areas for international research collaborations.

The Secretary of State will be joined by members of the UK’s Frontier AI Taskforce – including its Chair, Ian Hogarth – which was launched earlier this year to evaluate the risks of frontier AI models, and by representatives from nations at the cutting-edge of AI development.

They will also look at what national policymakers, the international community, and scientists and researchers can do to manage the risks and harness the opportunities of AI to deliver economic and social benefits around the world.

Day one will conclude with a panel discussion on the transformative opportunities of AI for public good now and in the long-term, with a focus on how it can be used by teachers and students to revolutionise education.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan will also take to the podium to deliver closing remarks to delegates, before the curtain falls on what is hoped will be an historic first day of the first ever global AI Safety Summit.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 1 November 2023.

British supercomputing to be boosted 30-fold with a new Cambridge computer and Bristol site.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 31 October 2023.

The UK’s AI skills base will be future-proofed with a £118 million boost to skills funding, including postgraduate research centres and scholarships.

The UK’s AI skills base will be future-proofed with a £118 million boost to skills funding, the government announced today (Tuesday 31 October).

This will ensure the country has the top global expertise and fosters the next generation of researchers needed to seize the transformational benefits of this technology.

This includes naming, for the first time, the further 12 Centres for Doctoral Training in AI that will benefit from £117 million in previously-announced government backing through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), while a new visa scheme will make it easier for the most innovative businesses to bring talented AI researchers in their early careers, to the UK.

This is on top of funding for 15 science and technology scholarships at some of the UK’s world-leading universities, a £1 million grants scheme to help top AI talent relocate to the UK, and the pilot of a new STEM Olympiad scholarship scheme ‘Backing Invisible Geniuses’. It builds on a further £8.1 million recently announced, for postgraduate course scholarships in AI and data science. Because of the pace of change in AI development, it is critical that the UK cultivates the top AI research talent to drive progress in crucial areas like AI safety, and to ensure the whole country can feel the gains that AI will unlock.

Secretary of State Michelle Donelan said:

The UK is at the very forefront of the global race to turn AI’s enormous potential into a giant leap forward for people’s quality of life and productivity at work, all while ensuring this technology works safely, ethically and responsibly.

The plans we are announcing today will future-proof our nation’s skills base, meaning British people can reap the benefits of AI as it continues to develop. At the same time, we are moving further and faster to put the power of this technology to work for good across government and society.

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said:

The UK is in a strong position to harness the power of AI to transform many aspects of our lives for the better. Crucial to this endeavour is nurturing the talented people and teams we need to apply AI to a broad spectrum of challenges, from healthy aging to sustainable agriculture, ensuring its responsible and trustworthy adoption. UKRI is investing £117 million in Centres for Doctoral Training to develop the talented researchers and innovators we need for success.

Alongside the support for skills, a raft of measures are being unveiled today across government to unleash AI’s potential to improve how we work and boost our quality of life. This includes the naming of 64 NHS trusts across the country that will benefit from the £21 million rollout of AI tech to improve how chest X-ray and CT scans are used to diagnose serious conditions like lung cancer. As well as plans to use AI to boost the productivity of teachers and JobCentre work coaches, helping boost educational attainment and support more people into finding work.

All of this comes on the eve of the AI Safety Summit, being hosted at Bletchley Park from Wednesday 1 – Thursday 2 November. The Summit is another signal of the UK’s determination to lead the way globally on managing the risks around AI, together with partners from around the world, so that we can reap the enormous benefits this transformative technology has to offer.

The AI skills package announced today includes:

• naming the locations and research focus of a further 12 new UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training in the development and application of AI – backed by £117 million in government funding. These institutions will train a new generation of researchers to lead on some of the most critical work currently being undertaken in the field of AI. They will ensure every student is trained in responsible, trustworthy, and safe AI, whilst specialising in areas of priority for the UK – such as healthcare, the discovery of new treatments and boosting productivity in the NHS
• the creation of a £1 million AI Futures Grants scheme to help the next generation of AI leaders meet the costs of relocating to the UK. This will support top emerging AI researchers and engineers from around the world to work in our world-class universities, businesses and research institutes, further strengthening the UK as a global destination for top AI talent
• together with the British Council and UK Universities, we are funding 15 GREAT scholarships for international students to come to the UK to study Science and Technology courses, including subjects related to AI or life sciences at one of our world-renowned universities
• the ‘Backing Invisible Geniuses’ (BIG) scholarship pilot, led by the Global Talent Lab, champions outstanding high-school performers in International Science Olympiads, setting them on a path to excel in maths, science, and AI. This initiative attracts top STEM talent to the UK’s leading universities, enhancing the UK’s standing as a hub for global excellence. It is being launched with a founding donation from XTX Markets and in partnership with DSIT
• the creation of a new dedicated visa scheme for the world’s most talented AI researchers to come to the UK on internships and placements, early in their careers, to encourage them to build their careers, ideas and businesses here
• all of this builds on the further £8.1 million being available for postgraduate course scholarships in AI and data science, already announced by the Secretary of State. This brings the total funding for these scholarships, delivered through the Office for Students, to £26 million since 2020, which has created more than 2,600 scholarships targeted at disadvantaged groups, across 31 higher education providers

Wider AI initiatives being announced this week include:

• the naming of 64 NHS trusts across the country that will benefit from the £21 million rollout of AI tech to improve how chest X-ray and CT scans are used to diagnose serious conditions like lung cancer
• up to £2 million for Oak National Academy to test new uses of AI in education, helping teachers reduce the time they spend planning by helping them create excellent lesson resources based on Oak’s curriculum content
• the Met Office launching a partnership with the Alan Turing Institute, to use AI to improve weather forecasting, which could boost the UK’s resilience to extreme weather events that threaten lives and critical national infrastructure
• the launch of the ‘Airlock’ regulatory sandbox, supporting AI innovators to safely test the use of their technologies in healthcare earlier, so that NHS patients can benefit from game-changing new health innovations sooner
• the launch of an internationally recognised set of standards for the use of AI in health, to ensure this technology works for everyone regardless of background

Notes to editors

The 12 AI Centres for Doctoral Training, their research area, are as follows:

• University of Surrey, partnered with Royal Holloway, University of London: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Digital Media Inclusion
• University of Oxford: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for the Environment (Intelligent Earth)
• University of Lincoln, partnered with the Universities of Aberdeen and Strathclyde, and Queen’s University Belfast: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Understandable agri-food Systems Transformed by Artificial INtelligence (SUSTAIN)
• University of Edinburgh: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world NLP
• University of Bristol: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Practice-Oriented Artificial Intelligence (PrO-AI)
• Northumbria University: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence
• Heriot-Watt University, partnered with the University of Edinburgh: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Dependable and Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Robotics (D2AIR)
• Imperial College London: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Healthcare
• University of Southampton: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Sustainability
• University of York: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Lifelong Safety Assurance of AI-enabled Autonomous Systems (SAINTS)
• University of Manchester, partnered with the University of Cambridge: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Decision Making for Complex Systems
• University of Edinburgh: UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Biomedical Innovation

The AI Centres for Doctoral Training are being funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The Department for Business and Trade will work closely with top AI universities, businesses, and professionals to design the new AI Futures Grants scheme, to be launched in 2024.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 30 October 2023.

Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin are being announced as the first members of a new consortium that will shape the future of the best-in-class UK Biobank.

Former CEO and Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt, and Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, are today (Monday 30 October) being announced as the first members of a new consortium that will shape the future of the best-in-class UK Biobank, starting with £16 million funding matched by government.

Their donations will support UK Biobank to grow its already-unrivalled wealth of health data, to enable research unlocking the next great leaps in our understanding of health and disease.

This could include using AI’s ability to rapidly analyse vast quantities of data to draw new insights from UK Biobank’s data, such as in the analysis of cancer samples – the sort of uptake of AI in health and research being encouraged by the new AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission, announced by the Prime Minister, last week.

UK Biobank is the world’s most significant resource for health research, and one of the country’s most important scientific assets. It is a database of in-depth genetic, health and lifestyle information from half a million UK volunteers, giving approved researchers worldwide access to an unparalleled source of data that is enabling medical breakthroughs, from treating cardiac disease to Alzheimer’s.

UK Biobank has supported ground-breaking advancements in healthcare, such as the development of a genetic test to detect people born with an increased risk of coronary heart disease^{[Note 1]}, only made possible via analysis of UK Biobank’s genomic data. During the pandemic, UK Biobank data helped researchers deepen their understanding of how lifestyle and inherited factors impacted how patients were affected by COVID-19.

The more than £16 million ($20 million USD) being donated by Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin will be matched by the government, which will provide up to £25 million in funding in total for the UK Biobank, provided that an equal amount of private and philanthropic donations are also secured. The ultimate aim is to achieve at least £50 million in contributions for UK Biobank.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

UK Biobank is one of the jewels in the crown of UK science, making an unparalleled contribution to improving everyone’s health through the sheer scale of information it puts at researchers’ fingertips.

We are determined to ensure that it can continue to support life-changing breakthroughs, combining with new technologies like AI to help those suffering from arthritis, dementia and more. But this is about more than just putting up public funding: I want to unlock a new wave of private and philanthropic donations, right across our science and tech sectors. To have 2 titans of business such as Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin join us at the start of this exciting journey is testament to our scientific capabilities.

Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin said:

UK Biobank is revolutionizing our understanding and treatment of disease. I am honored to support this groundbreaking initiative to advance scientific discoveries, improve public health and save lives.

Eric Schmidt, former CEO and chairman of Google said:

Scientific advancements have the potential to bring profound transformations to humanity for generations to come. It is vital that we cultivate an environment that fosters and supports revolutionary applications of science and technology, such as UK Biobank, while creating opportunities for further innovation for public benefit.

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Investigator of UK Biobank, said:

It is 15 years since we first saw our incredible half a million volunteers for their baseline assessments, with most of our participants engaging in follow-up analyses. It is down to the dedication and altruism of each of our volunteers that we have been able to grow UK Biobank into the world’s most comprehensive database for scientific and health related research.

We are immensely grateful for today’s funding, which will allow us to pilot new projects that will add further depth to our already rich goldmine of data for scientific researchers everywhere. UK Biobank data has already resulted in over 9,000 peer-reviewed papers, including studies looking into cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression, tinnitus and heart disease. The research that we are helping to power is generating evidence which is relevant to everyone, from patients and carers to healthcare providers and practitioners everywhere.

Unlocking greater private and philanthropic funding for UK R&D is one of the key objectives of The UK Science and Technology Framework, and partnerships with industry and philanthropists are already delivering for the UK’s science sector.

This pioneering new way of funding UK science and research builds on the approach of the Research Ventures Catalyst, launched in July, to open up new funding pathways that will enable our brightest minds to take greater risks and pursue new means of working that might not be supported via traditional avenues. By working in partnership with private and philanthropic funders, we will unlock tens of millions of pounds to drive new discoveries in health, tech and science.

The consortium being unveiled today will deliver a transformative investment into UK Biobank’s future research capacity. This builds on the £154 million investment in UK Biobank’s physical infrastructure, announced as part of the Chancellor’s £650 million ‘Life Sci for Growth’ warchest, which is supporting their move to a purpose-built new home at Manchester Science park.

Schmidt and Griffin are providing this funding on a philanthropic basis to UK Biobank because the study’s breadth of data, long-term follow-up of health outcomes, and accessibility to researchers worldwide make it a unique resource to help the scientific community better understand a wide range of common and life-threatening diseases.

Delivering new, innovative, agile models of funding such as these delivers on the government’s response to the findings of Sir Paul Nurse’s Landscape Review, and builds on the already-record levels of public sector commitment to spending on R&D. This government has committed to invest £20 billion in R&D in 2024 to 2025.

UK Biobank’s database is regularly augmented with additional data, such as a recent addition of the largest ever proteomic dataset, and the on-going results of the world’s largest imaging study of whole-body scanning. All of this data will enable researchers to open up new ways to investigate disease mechanisms for all conditions, from depression and anxiety to coronary heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 27 October 2023.

Raft of voices below have thrown their support behind Act protecting children from online harm, while empowering adults with more choices over what they see online.

Overwhelming support for Online Safety Act as rules making UK the safest place in the world to be online become law

The Online Safety Bill yesterday (Thursday 26 October) received Royal Assent, heralding a new era of internet safety and choice by placing world-first legal duties on social media platforms.

The new laws take a zero-tolerance approach to protecting children from online harm, while empowering adults with more choices over what they see online. This follows rigorous scrutiny and extensive debate in Parliament.

A raft of voices below have thrown their support behind the Act, ranging from groups representing children’s voices, women’s rights and consumer rights.

Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition said:

Along with survivors, other experts and over 100,000 members of the public, we called for the Online Safety Bill to tackle and prevent violence against women and girls. We welcome this landmark new guidance for tech companies to reduce harm to women and girls online, which is a step in the right direction for tackling this abuse. But we also know that implementation and enforcement is key if we are to address the rapid spread of misogyny and online abuse, and we will work with government and Ofcom to ensure it is as robust as possible and well enforced.

Lynn Perry MBE, Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, said:

We’re delighted that the Online Safety Bill has received royal assent and will now become law. This is an important first step towards making the UK the safest place for a child to be online.

Through our frontline work across the UK, we support children whose mental health and understanding of healthy relationships are damaged by what they see online. We welcome how this bill places a duty on pornography sites to verify that users are over 18 which will help to stop children from viewing this type of harmful content.

There is much more work to be done here and we will continue to work with the government on implementing this legislation, the forthcoming review into pornography and ensuring we keep ahead of emerging online threats, such as AI, to protect our children.

William Perrin, a trustee at Carnegie UK, said:

The new Online Safety Act will bring social media companies in line with other industries by introducing a regulatory regime designed to reduce harm, particularly to children and other vulnerable groups.

An exceptionally broad coalition of more than 50 charity and civil society organisations have played a vital role in making these new laws a reality. The number of bodies making the case for these changes shows that our previous approach to social media regulation hasn’t been working and put too many people in harm’s way.

While the implementation of this new regulation will clearly be key to its success, UK lawmakers deserve credit for taking action to protect our collective wellbeing.

Imran Ahmed, CEO and founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), said:

The Center for Countering Digital Hate welcomes the Online Safety Act – a momentous step towards a safer digital world.

The Online Safety Act ensures social media platforms are held responsible for the content they host, requiring platforms to remove illegal content, protect child users and empower adults with choice over the content they see. It is now up to the regulator Ofcom to enact a robust regime of oversight and enforcement alongside which CCDH will continue to advocate for an online world free from hate and disinformation.

Baroness Kidron, Chair of 5Rights Foundation:

I am delighted that the Online Safety Bill is now law. I congratulate the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and pay tribute to the many organisations and individuals that have played a part, in particular the broad coalition of children’s charities and the Bereaved Families for Online Safety. The wisdom and advocacy of these groups has made for a much better law.

The mantel of responsibility for child online safety now falls firmly on the shoulders of the tech sector who under the watchful gaze Ofcom must use the Act to make meaningful changes to children’s online experiences.

This is just one small step toward building the digital world children deserve.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

Which? led the campaign for consumers to have stronger protections against scam adverts on social media platforms and search engines that can have devastating financial and emotional consequences for victims. These new Online Safety laws are a major step forward in the fight back against fraud by forcing tech firms to step up and take more responsibility for stopping people being targeted by fraudulent online adverts.

Ofcom must now develop codes of practice that will hold platforms to a high standard and be prepared to take strong enforcement action, including fines, against firms if they break the law.

Marc Allera, CEO BT’s Consumer brands, said:

We welcome this new legislation and hope it marks a turning point in improving safety and raising standards of behaviour online. From 5G misinformation to the way social media can perpetuate violence against women and girls, online harms have real world consequences. It’s great to see the UK leading on this and we hope others will follow.

Oliver Chantler, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at The Mental Health Foundation, said:

The Online Safety Act is hugely welcome and will help protect people’s mental health across the UK.

The online world can be a great source of support and help to people who are struggling, but as the government has recognised, it can also expose users to material which can be incredibly harmful to their mental health, including promoting eating disorders and self-harm.

This new legislation takes a proportionate approach, by giving people the tools to stay safe online and control their experience, and clamping down on the most dangerous content that is a risk to public health.

Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari, speaking on behalf of English football organisations, said:

Online abuse in football has risen significantly in recent years, but new laws passed by the government should offer some hope to all those who participate in football. Change will take time, but it’s a big step in the right direction to make everyone in football feel safer online.

Ellen Miller, Interim CEO of Refuge, said:

After 2 years of tireless campaigning, Refuge is pleased to see that the Online Safety Bill has been granted Royal Assent.

We are glad that the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, have listened to us and other organisations in the Violence Against Women and Girls sector and that the Bill now contains specific protections for women and girls.

We are pleased to see coercive and controlling behaviour recognised as a priority offence in the Act This means social media platforms are required to respond to these abusive behaviours and take steps towards preventing them from being able to happen in the first place.

After campaigning alongside other organisations to get a ‘Violence Against Women and Girls Code of Practice’ in the Bill, including in our report “Marked as Unsafe”, Refuge welcomed the amendment requiring legislators Ofcom to publish guidance for social media platforms to make online spaces safer for women and girls. These guidelines will make it so that social media companies must make the safety of women and girls on their platforms a higher priority.

It is our hope that the protections included in the Act, will allow women and girls to exist online safely, without abuse.