UK commits £600M to AI biosecurity and cyber defense amid rising AI-enabled threats
10 Sources
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Britain bets big on AI to defend against the threats AI is helping create
Whitehall wants agents guarding critical infrastructure as part of a wider £600M spending spree The UK government is throwing £130 million at AI-powered cyber defenses, including plans to deploy autonomous AI agents across critical infrastructure to hunt down security flaws before attackers get
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UK sets up AI lab to monitor biosecurity threats
Move comes amid widespread fears that users could create new viruses and bioweapons The UK government will set up a £100mn AI biosecurity lab to monitor emerging threats amid fears the fast-evolving technology could be used to create biological weapons and viruses. Chancellor John Healey and AI
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The UK is investing $134 million into an AI Biosecurity Lab - Engadget
OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepSeek are supporting the initiative. The UK government has established the AI Biosecurity Lab (AIBL) as part of its National AI Biosecurity Initiative. It has committed £100 million ($134 million) in funding to the project, which will also be supported by OpenAI,
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UK to invest £100m in 'world first' AI Biosecurity Lab
The UK says it will establish a national AI Biosecurity Lab (AIBL) to help strengthen its defences against emerging biological threats. As part of Wednesday's Budget, the government will commit £100m to establishing the new, "world first" institute with the support of leading AI firms. The
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UK AI cyber defence gets £130m in the Chancellor's £600m+ package
UK AI cyber defence money funds a National Cyber Shield and a NERV Centre to find vulnerabilities. It follows the PHP2Shell flaws that hit government websites. The UK government will spend £130m on AI cyber defence, including a National Cyber Shield that uses agentic AI to protect critical
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UK funds £100m AI biosecurity lab with OpenAI and Anthropic
The two AI companies will add up to £200m in credits and model access, ahead of Wednesday's Budget. The UK government will put £100m into a new AI Biosecurity Lab, which will use advanced AI to spot and respond to biological threats. OpenAI and Anthropic will add up to £200m between them, the
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The UK government wants to invest £100 million in a 'world first' AI Biosecurity Lab -- OpenAI and Anthropic to supply £200 million in credits to help safeguard national security
New lab will help protect against AI-assisted biological threats * UK government announces millions in funding for cyber protections upgrade * £200 million will be invested in a new AI biosecurity lab, while a further £160 million will be funneled into a National Cyber Shield and National
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UK government sets out $800 million for AI security funding
Britain's government set out around £600 million ($800 million) of funding on Saturday largely geared towards defending against health and security threats from artificial intelligence. The biggest chunk of funding will go to a new biosecurity initiative, including £100 million for a laboratory
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UK unveils $800 million AI security funding plan By Investing.com
Investing.com -- The British government announced approximately £600 million ($800 million) in artificial intelligence funding on Saturday, targeting biological threats, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. The largest portion of the funding will support a new biosecurity
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UK pledges more funding to guard against artificial intelligence risks
(Alliance News) - The UK government on Saturday outlined plans to expand funding for artificial intelligence safety amid growing concerns over the cyber risks posed by the increasingly advanced technology. "The economic opportunities from AI will only be realised if our critical infrastructure,
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Britain unveiled a £600 million AI spending package focused on national security, including a £100 million AI Biosecurity Lab and £130 million National Cyber Shield. OpenAI and Anthropic are contributing up to £200 million in model credits to help detect biological threats and strengthen cyber defenses against AI-enabled attacks.
UK Government AI Initiative Targets Dual Security Threats
The UK government announced a £600 million AI spending package ahead of Wednesday's Budget, with Chancellor John Healey and AI minister Kanishka Narayan unveiling plans to address both biological threats and cybersecurity vulnerabilities
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. The initiative marks Britain's most substantial investment in AI safety and security, with Narayan describing it as setting out "a vision of UK AI sovereignty" that would house crucial technologies and data storage domestically while establishing world-leading capabilities in AI for national security2
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Source: The Next Web
AI Biosecurity Lab Addresses Biological Risks
The centerpiece of the National AI Biosecurity Initiative is a £100 million AI Biosecurity Lab, which the government claims will be the world's first dedicated facility of its kind
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. OpenAI is contributing £100 million in compute and model credits, while Anthropic is offering up to £100 million in model credits, model access and technical support1
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. Google DeepMind and British biotech firm Basecamp Research are also involved in the collaboration1
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.The independent, non-profit lab will use frontier AI models to detect biological threats and accelerate vaccine development and medical treatments
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. The move comes as AI groups race to address concerns that future models could help users create novel viruses or bioweapons, with the dual-use potential of AI's scientific capabilities becoming the industry's next public-security concern2
. Matt Clifford, a former Downing Street adviser on AI who joined Anthropic in September, noted that the technology is "changing both the biological risks we face and the nature of biological discovery"2
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Source: Engadget
National Cyber Shield Deploys Agentic AI
UK AI cyber defense receives £130 million, including £60 million for a National Cyber Shield that uses agentic AI to bolster Britain's defenses
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. This includes a £25 million challenge fund for UK cybersecurity firms and plans for a regulatory sandbox to test autonomous security tools across critical infrastructure, government and industry1
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.Another £70 million will establish the National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre, using AI to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities across Britain's infrastructure and wider economy
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. The announcement follows the PHP2Shell security incident, which saw dozens of government websites taken offline after critical flaws were discovered in the widely used scripting language1
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. AI minister Kanishka Narayan revealed that AI technology had already uncovered 500 previously unknown security flaws across significant parts of the public sector1
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Source: The Register
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AI Security Institute Receives Additional Funding
The AI Security Institute, which tests advanced AI systems for dangerous capabilities, will receive an additional £120 million
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. Established by the former Conservative government in 2023, the institute has been championed for building a collaborative and open approach to AI testing4
. The additional funding aims to help ensure the lab can continue its efforts amid growing calls for technical standards and guardrails for AI development4
. Manchester will also receive a new NCSC AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence to train government specialists1
.Sovereign AI Fund Backs British Innovation
The Sovereign AI Fund will receive an additional £60 million to invest in British companies developing technologies including robotics and autonomous systems, with another £60 million allocated for AI research and development procurement
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. An £18 million Advanced Chip Design Academy will help Britain develop semiconductor expertise to reduce dependence on technology designed overseas1
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. "We cannot afford to rely entirely on technology built overseas," Narayan stated5
.The package includes £30 million for local AI partnerships, £15 million for an AI challenge prize initially focused on healthcare, and £23 million for research into AI's impact on jobs and the economy
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. Ministers are setting aside £10 million annually to study how AI will reshape employment and industry, including jobs it might make redundant1
. Kate Shoesmith, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, welcomed the measures but called on ministers to "address barriers to AI adoption to unlock growth across all firms"2
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