UK government recruits Meta-backed AI team to transform transport, defense and public safety
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[1]
UK announces Meta-backed AI team to upgrade public services
LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The British government said on Tuesday it had recruited a team of artificial intelligence specialists to build AI tools to improve transport, public safety and defence, using funding from Meta (META.O), opens new tab. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like many other leaders around the world, is looking to tap into the huge economic potential of developing an AI industry and, at the same time, use the technology to improve productivity across government. The government said the AI experts would spend the next year developing open-source tools to improve how authorities maintain roads and transport networks, manage public safety, and make decisions on national security. The body includes a data scientist from the Alan Turing Institute and university researchers whose expertise spans computer vision, applied machine learning for the public sector, robotics-driven imaging and the design of trustworthy, safety-critical AI systems. The programme will focus on developing technology that public bodies can run without relying on commercial, closed-source systems, it added. Meta, which announced funding the project in July last year, said at the time the experts would be using open-source models like Meta's artificial intelligence system, Llama - a large language model capable of processing data including text, video, images and audio. It also said tools built with these models would be owned by the government, allowing departments to keep sensitive data in-house and adapt the technology as needed. Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
[2]
UK announces Meta-backed AI team to upgrade public services
The British government said on Tuesday it had recruited a team of artificial intelligence specialists to build AI tools to improve transport, public safety and defence, using funding from Meta. The British government said on Tuesday it had recruited a team of artificial intelligence specialists to build AI tools to improve transport, public safety and defence, using funding from Meta. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like many other leaders around the world, is looking to tap into the huge economic potential of developing an AI industry and, at the same time, use the technology to improve productivity across government. The government said the AI experts would spend the next year developing open-source tools to improve how authorities maintain roads and transport networks, manage public safety, and make decisions on national security. The body includes a data scientist from the Alan Turing Institute and university researchers whose expertise spans computer vision, applied machine learning for the public sector, robotics-driven imaging and the design of trustworthy, safety-critical AI systems. The programme will focus on developing technology that public bodies can run without relying on commercial, closed-source systems, it added. Meta, which announced funding the project in July last year, said at the time the experts would be using open-source models like Meta's artificial intelligence system, Llama - a large language model capable of processing data including text, video, images and audio. It also said tools built with these models would be owned by the government, allowing departments to keep sensitive data in-house and adapt the technology as needed.
[3]
UK announces Meta-backed AI team to upgrade public services
LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The British government said on Tuesday it had recruited a team of artificial intelligence specialists to build AI tools to improve transport, public safety and defence, using funding from Meta. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like many other leaders around the world, is looking to tap into the huge economic potential of developing an AI industry and, at the same time, use the technology to improve productivity across government. The government said the AI experts would spend the next year developing open-source tools to improve how authorities maintain roads and transport networks, manage public safety, and make decisions on national security. The body includes a data scientist from the Alan Turing Institute and university researchers whose expertise spans computer vision, applied machine learning for the public sector, robotics-driven imaging and the design of trustworthy, safety-critical AI systems. The programme will focus on developing technology that public bodies can run without relying on commercial, closed-source systems, it added. Meta, which announced funding the project in July last year, said at the time the experts would be using open-source models like Meta's artificial intelligence system, Llama - a large language model capable of processing data including text, video, images and audio. It also said tools built with these models would be owned by the government, allowing departments to keep sensitive data in-house and adapt the technology as needed. (Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)
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The UK government has assembled a team of artificial intelligence specialists funded by Meta to develop open-source AI tools over the next year. The initiative targets improvements in transport networks, public safety, and national security while allowing public bodies to maintain control over sensitive data without relying on commercial systems.
UK Government Assembles Meta-Backed AI Team for Public Services
The UK government announced Tuesday it has recruited a specialized AI team to develop tools that will upgrade public services across transport, defense, and public safety sectors
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Source: ET
The Meta-backed AI team will spend the next year building open-source AI tools designed to boost government productivity while allowing authorities to maintain roads and transport networks, manage public safety operations, and make critical decisions on national security
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.Prime Minister Keir Starmer's initiative reflects a broader global trend among leaders seeking to harness economic potential of AI while modernizing government operations. Meta announced funding for this project in July last year, positioning it as a strategic move to demonstrate how open-source models can serve critical public infrastructure needs
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.Artificial Intelligence Specialists Bring Deep Technical Expertise
The assembled team includes a data scientist from the prestigious Alan Turing Institute alongside university researchers with specialized capabilities spanning computer vision, applied machine learning for the public sector, robotics-driven imaging, and the design of trustworthy, safety-critical AI systems
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. This diverse expertise signals the UK government's intent to address complex challenges across multiple domains simultaneously.The artificial intelligence specialists will focus on developing technology that public bodies can operate independently, eliminating dependence on commercial, closed-source systems
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. This approach addresses growing concerns about vendor lock-in and data sovereignty that have plagued government technology initiatives in recent years.Meta's Llama Powers Open-Source Models Strategy
The team will leverage open-source models including Meta's Llama, a large language model capable of processing diverse data types including text, video, images, and audio
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Source: Reuters
This technical foundation enables the development of sophisticated AI applications while maintaining transparency and adaptability.
Crucially, all tools built with these open-source models will be owned by the UK government, allowing departments to keep sensitive data in-house and adapt the technology as operational needs evolve
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. This ownership structure represents a significant departure from traditional government technology procurement, where private vendors typically retain intellectual property rights.Related Stories
Strategic Focus on Transport Networks and National Security
The initiative targets practical applications across critical infrastructure domains. For transport networks, AI tools could optimize road maintenance schedules, predict infrastructure failures, and improve traffic management systems. In public safety and national security contexts, machine learning capabilities could enhance threat detection, resource allocation, and emergency response coordination
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.The one-year development timeline suggests the UK government expects rapid deployment of initial capabilities, though the true test will be whether these open-source AI tools can scale across diverse public sector organizations. As governments worldwide compete to integrate AI into operations, the UK's approach of combining private sector funding with public ownership and open-source technology may offer a template for balancing innovation with accountability. The success of this Meta-backed AI team could influence how other nations structure similar initiatives to upgrade public services while maintaining sovereign control over critical systems.
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