UK Government Launches AI Safety Platform to Boost Business Trust and Innovation

The UK government wants to help businesses make trustworthy AI products

The Government wants to make the UK a global hub of AI expertise A new AI safety platform for businesses in the UK has been announced as part of the latest government plan to make the country a hub for technological development. The platform will provide organisations with tools to develop and use AI safely, hoping to build trust in the technology. The platform will include guidance and practical resources which will assist businesses with impact assessments and evaluations, as well as reviewing data used in AI systems to identify bias. The AI boom isn't going anywhere, but a lack of public and business trust in AI products is still a major shortcoming, so the safety framework will look to reassure business leaders by identifying and mitigating the potential risks posed by AI. The Government has predicted using such tools will help contribute to £6.5 billion in growth by 2035, kickstarting UK tech advancement. The adoption of AI systems in the UK could certainly use a foundation of trust, so the new platform hopes to address uneasiness amongst business leaders. "AI has incredible potential to improve our public services, boost productivity and rebuild our economy but, in order to take full advantage, we need to build trust in these systems which are increasingly part of our day to day lives," said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology. "The steps I'm announcing today will help to deliver exactly that - giving businesses the support and clarity they need to use AI safely and responsibly while also making the UK a true hub of AI assurance expertise," he continued. The government is pushing for technological development across the board, with the designation of data centers as critical infrastructure and the potential for a streamlined process for AI expert's visa applications all part of a vision for the UK in the global tech world.

UK government launches new AI safety platform for businesses

The UK government will provide businesses with a new platform to help assess and mitigate the risks posed by artificial intelligence, as it seeks to be the global leader in testing the safety of the novel technology. The platform, launched on Wednesday, will bring together guidance and practical resources for businesses to use to carry out impact assessments and evaluations of new AI technologies, and review the data underpinning machine learning algorithms to check for bias. Science and tech secretary Peter Kyle said these resources would give "businesses the support and clarity they need to use AI safely and responsibly while also making the UK a true hub of AI assurance expertise". The minister was speaking ahead of the Financial Times' Future of AI Summit on Wednesday, where he will outline his vision for the AI sector in Britain. Kyle has previously vowed to place AI at the heart of the government's growth agenda, and argued that if it were fully integrated into the economy it would increase productivity by 5 per cent and create £28bn of fiscal headroom. His government sees AI safety -- including so-called assurance technology -- as an area where the UK could carve out a competitive niche, building on the expertise from Britain's pioneering AI Safety Institute launched by former conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak. Assurance technologies, akin to cyber security for the web, are essentially tools that can help businesses verify, scrutinise and trust the machine learning products they are working with. Companies already producing this technology in the UK include Holistic AI, Enzai and Advai. The new Labour government believes this market could grow six-fold in Britain to be valued at £6.5bn by 2035. However, the UK faces stiff competition from around the world in developing assurance technology with other nations also seeking to lead the way on AI safety. The US launched its own AI safety institute last year, while the EU has enacted an AI Act that is considered among the toughest regulatory regimes for the new technology. As part of the new platform, the UK government will be rolling out a self-assessment tool to help small businesses check whether they are using AI systems safely. It is also announcing a new partnership on AI safety with Singapore that will allow the safety institutes from both countries to work closely together to conduct research, develop standards and industry guidance. Dominic Hallas, executive director of The Startup Coalition, said there "definitely is a huge opportunity" in the UK market for AI assurance technologies, adding that "the biggest gap to adoption of AI at the moment is trust of the models". He noted, however, that many AI start-ups still face huge challenges around how to access enough compute power, and how to attract talent -- areas where greater investment and interventions from government would be welcome. Earlier this year, a report by the Social Market Foundation think-tank recommended that the UK government mobilise the public and private sector to "supercharge" the UK's AI assurance tech industry. It said that the global AI Assurance Tech market was estimated to reach $276bn by 2030, and argued that the UK could become a global leader. It also called on the government to invest up to £60mn in companies developing these technologies.

UK Launching Platform to Boost Business Trust in AI | PYMNTS.com

The U.K. is providing a platform to help businesses assess and mitigate the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) as its use becomes more widespread. A press release from the U.K. government Wednesday (Nov. 6) described the AI safety assurance platform as a "one-stop-shop" for guidance and resources to equip businesses to conduct their own impact assessments and evaluations when developing and using AI products and services. The platform also includes tools for assessing machine learning algorithms for bias and ensuring transparency and individual privacy, according to the release. According to a report by Reuters, many generative AI models have been struggling with EU legal compliance benchmarks related to bias and security. The release also mentioned a self-assessment tool to help small and medium-sized enterprises implement responsible AI practices. In the release, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology Peter Kyle emphasized the importance of the responsible use of AI systems. "AI has incredible potential to improve our public services, boost productivity and rebuild our economy, but in order to take full advantage, we need to build trust in these systems, which are increasingly part of our day-to-day lives," he said. The U.K.'s AI Safety Institute, a government-backed organization, recently launched a Systemic AI Safety Grants program that offers up to 200,000 pounds in funding for researchers from academia, industry and civil society, according to the release. In addition to domestic efforts, the AI Safety Institute has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Singapore to strengthen international collaboration on responsible AI development. This agreement aims to enhance research efforts and create shared policies and standards for AI safety, the release said. Singapore Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said in the release, "Of particular significance is our joint support of the international Network of AI Safety Institutes (AISI). Through strengthening the capabilities of our AISIs, we seek to enhance AI safety so that our peoples and businesses can confidently harness AI and benefit from its widespread adoption." A new report forecasts a six-fold increase in the U.K.'s AI assurance market by 2035, reaching over £6.5 billion, the release said. Meanwhile, in the U.S., tech companies face limits on international partnerships for AI development as the White House has mandated that private-sector AI innovations be shielded like military technology.