The British government recently announced an ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) development plan aimed at improving the country's AI computing power through large-scale investment. According to the plan, by 2030, the UK will increase publicly controlled AI computing power by 20 times. Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said the plan, titled "Unlocking" AI, will help the UK take a leading position in the global AI industry. Despite public concerns about the potential impact of AI, the government firmly believes that the technology will bring up to £470 billion to the UK economy.
As part of the plan, the UK government has proposed a controversial solution to unlock public data to support the development of AI enterprises. These data include anonymous data from the National Health Services System (NHS) that will be used by researchers and innovators to train AI models. Despite the government's pledge to implement "strong privacy protection measures" and ensure that this data is not owned by private companies, experts have expressed concerns about data privacy and security issues, believing that stricter regulatory frameworks are needed to protect the public.
The government hopes to drive growth in the UK economy through AI technology and plans to accelerate investment in small nuclear reactors to meet the energy demands brought by AI technology in the future. Prime Minister Stamer stressed that AI will revolutionize all aspects of education, business operations and public services. He pointed out: "The AI industry needs a government that supports them, and we cannot wait for the opportunity to slip away from our fingertips." The government's goal is to ensure that the UK maintains its leading position in the global technological competition through innovation and technological advancement.
To support this plan, the UK government will set up its first AI growth zone near the Agency's headquarters in Oxfordshire, which will provide rapid planning arrangements for data centers. In addition, the government will sign a multi-billion pound contract to build new public computing power, including infrastructure such as microchips, processing units and memory devices. These initiatives are designed to provide the necessary hardware support for the rapid development of AI technology.
While tech companies welcome government plans, social experts warn that the widespread use of AI could have far-reaching impacts on employment, society and the environment. They called on the government to develop a more comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure public trust and security. At the same time, the government is also facing the challenge of how to balance innovation with public protection. How to ensure social equity and privacy protection while promoting technological progress will be a key issue that the British government needs to solve in the future.
Key points:
The UK government plans to increase publicly controlled AI computing power by 20 times by 2030, striving to become a global leader in the AI industry.
Unlocking public data to support the development of AI enterprises, NHS anonymous data will be used to train AI models, but privacy protection issues have attracted widespread attention.
The government will invest in small nuclear reactors and new public computing power to address the energy demand and economic challenges brought by AI technology.