UK Can't Rely on Foreign AI That Could Be Switched Off, Warns Alan Turing Institute Chief

UK AI Independence Becomes National Priority

The UK must stop relying on foreign AI systems that could be cut off without warning, according to George Williamson, the new head of the Alan Turing Institute1

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. Williamson, who previously ran the government unit that builds gadgets for UK spy agencies, told The Guardian that the country needs AI it doesn't have to ask permission to use. "As AI becomes more embedded in critical services, in domains like defense, national security, critical infrastructure and healthcare we shouldn't depend solely on systems we can't inspect or control, or that could be restricted or even switched off," he said2

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. The warning comes as the Alan Turing Institute, the UK's leading AI research body, undergoes a strategic shift demanded by the government, its main funder.

Political Pressures and US Restrictions Expose Vulnerabilities

Williamson's concerns stem from recent events that exposed the UK's vulnerability to foreign AI dependency. In June, Washington temporarily blocked foreign access to Anthropic's top models, demonstrating how political pressures can disrupt access to critical AI systems1

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. The US has reportedly asked leading AI labs to withhold their models from testing by the UK's AI Security Institute until they've been examined by the US counterpart first2

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. "We've seen now that both political and commercial pressures mean we may not have access in all the circumstances when we want it. That is not a place where a nation wants to be," Williamson explained2

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. He added that it feels "pretty uncomfortable if you don't have some control or ability to use technologies when you want them, and also harder to imagine how you build an economy on the top of stuff that can disappear"2

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National Resilience Takes Center Stage at Alan Turing Institute

Under Williamson's leadership, UK national resilience has become the primary focus of the Alan Turing Institute1

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. "We are facing a more adversarial world, more frequent shocks to our critical infrastructure and now powerful AI amplifying these threats. To strengthen national resilience, the Turing will focus on securing critical systems against disruption, countering threats from AI itself and helping to shape the right strategic AI capability for the UK," he said2

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. The institute plans to help build AI uses "for the public good," working on areas from weather forecasting to farming, while also helping spot state-backed disinformation2

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. Referring to state-led disinformation campaigns, Williamson noted: "It's very dangerous for the state of democracy and it's an area that we can monitor"2

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Building Nationally Owned AI Models Without Matching Big Tech Budgets

While acknowledging the Alan Turing Institute cannot match the budgets of major AI labs, Williamson believes the UK can still develop AI sovereignty through smaller, nationally owned AI models1

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. "We can be ambitious here without trying to copy what frontier labs are doing," he said, suggesting the institute could produce "nationally owned IP" or smaller models that could be made available to startups2

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. This approach aims to give the UK more agency on access to technology and a stronger sovereign position in AI amid runaway leadership by the US and China2

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. Williamson also cited concerns about Chinese-made AI systems that might not align with UK values, noting: "Try asking some of these models about some events in the recent past in China and you're not going to get an answer that's particularly helpful if you're doing GCSE history"2

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Geopolitical Implications and Existential Risks Under Scrutiny

Williamson's comments align with broader European concerns about AI dependency. Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, have both urged Europe to be more self-sufficient in AI, with Lagarde warning about the threat of being "cut off" from US and Chinese technology1

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. These geopolitical implications were underscored last month when UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a new national center to tackle state-backed disinformation2

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. However, Williamson expressed skepticism about existential risks, particularly after Anthropic predicted the technology had a greater than 10% chance of wiping out humanity by 2030. He said there's "a lot of stuff being tossed around" on existential threat risk that "is not always well grounded in science," adding he had not seen convincing evidence behind the percentages some in the industry quote1

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. Williamson believes the Alan Turing Institute, as a registered charity, could be an "objective and helpful" arbiter of concerns about AI, serving as "an active partner to government and the public more generally in helping to navigate some of this stuff"2

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