The government has struck a major deal with Google DeepMind which will see UK scientists gain priority access to its AI technologies.
The Alphabet-owned AI giant will also create a new AI system aimed to cut government bureaucracy, and develop a version of Gemini – Google’s largest AI model – to be integrated into schools. The partnership aims to save civil servants and teachers time on administrative tasks.
The deal seeks to put the UK at the centre of AI innovation, with the creation of the first automated research lab, set to open in the UK next year.
Sir Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive of Google DeepMind, said: “We’re excited to deepen our collaboration with the UK government and build on the country’s rich heritage of innovation to advance science, strengthen security, and deliver tangible improvements for citizens.”
Scientists in the UK will have priority access to Google DeepMind’s AI technologies, including those which help study DNA, design algorithms and forecast weather.
Google competitor Open AI signed a partnership with the government in July to explore investing in UK AI infrastructure.
In November, Microsoft and other big tech companies pledged to invest £10 bn in an AI Growth Zone in the UK.
In a statement, Google DeepMind said the UK “is uniquely positioned to translate AI innovation into public benefit.
“We believe AI will be humanity’s most transformational technology, and we are committed to partnering with governments globally to turn its potential into real progress for people everywhere.”
Technology secretary Liz Kendall, said the deal was an example of UK-US tech collaboration, citing it as an instance of “a firm with roots on both sides of the Atlantic backing innovators to shape the curve of technological progress.”
US tech titans back UK AI development
The partnership follows Google’s pledge to invest $5bn (£3.74bn) into British AI infrastructure as part of the Tech Prosperity Deal, signed on President Trump’s state visit to the UK in September.
Google’s investment is expected to create more than 8,000 jobs, and will be spread out over two years. The firm opened its first operated and owned data centre in the UK earlier this year.
Alongside Google, other American tech behemoths such as Microsoft agreed to invest a collective £31bn in the UK as part of the deal.
The government claims that the pact has helped to secure more than £24bn of private investment committed to UK technology in November alone.
Following the signing of the US-UK deal, Jensen Huang, president and chief executive of Nvidia, said: “I declare the UK will be an AI superpower.”
Other AI giants from across the pond have also invested in the UK this year, such as Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Ellison, the world’s second-richest man, has committed to investing £10bn in Oxford’s Ellison Institute of Technology, an AI-focused research institute.
Rachel Reeves called the investment “a major vote in confidence in Oxford as a global hub for science and innovation.” The EIT also purchased a building in St James’s Square for £162mn in January, to establish a London headquarters.
In March, Oracle announced it would invest $5bn (£3.9bn) in the UK over the next five years. The investment aimed to expand Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s footprint in the UK, particularly in AI.
The government claims that the UK is the world’s third largest AI market, behind the US and China. However, the UK ranks eighth in Forbes’ chart of AI superpowers, below India and France. This week, Microsoft and Amazon pledged a combined investment of more than $50bn (£27.26bn) into India’s AI industry.
Google Deepmind
DeepMind was founded by British-computer scientist Hassabis in 2010, alongside Shane Legg, the firm’s chief Artificial General Intelligence scientist, and Mustafa Suleyman, who has since gone on to become head of AI at Microsoft.
The company, which develops general AI systems, was acquired by Google for £400m in 2014.
In April of this year, Google DeepMind staff sought to unionise, criticising the selling of AI technology to defence groups. In February, Google dropped its pledge not to develop potentially harmful AI technologies, including those related to weapons.
City AM reported earlier this year that Google is facing a £25bn legal claim in the UK, in which it is accused of driving up prices for UK advertisers. Google denies this.