UK GOVERNMENT PLANS AI BIOSECURITY LAB WITH £100M FUNDING

The UK government says it will establish a national AI Biosecurity Lab to strengthen defences against emerging biological threats. Chancellor John Healey plans to commit £100 million to the lab in the forthcoming Budget. OpenAI and Anthropic will provide AI model credits valued at up to £200 million, according to the government. Officials say the lab will use AI to help develop medical countermeasures for new pathogens. The government describes the proposed institute as a “world first”.

The government has yet to disclose the lab’s full remit. AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said it would bring together “world-leading scientific expertise” to help protect the UK as AI develops. He identified cyber attacks and biological risks among the threats the government wants to address. Healey’s Budget plans also include an additional £120 million for the UK’s AI Security Institute. The former Conservative government established that institute in 2023 to assess risks from advanced AI models.

Healey also plans spending on other initiatives aimed at cyber, biological and AI-enabled threats. He said firms, communities, hospitals and schools could benefit from AI. “I understand and share the concerns of working people, so I am setting out a distinctively British approach to AI,” he said. Healey said he wanted that approach to support workers and spread the benefits of AI-enabled growth across the country. Narayan said investment in British science, advanced chips and domestic AI companies could strengthen national security and create skilled jobs.