UK will become global centre of robotics and AI, says Business Secretary
ARTIFICIAL intelligence and robotics which can “transform how we live, work, travel and learn” will make Britain’s economy more competitive after Brexit, a minister said yesterday.
Business Secretary Greg Clarke said government investment will put the UK at the forefront of AI
Business Secretary Greg Clark said investment in this sector will put the country at the forefront of global innovation.
His comments came as it was announced that universities will receive £17 million to help support the sector, which is behind smartphone voice and touch recognition technology and digital assistants such as the iPhone’s Siri.
Among the projects supported with the money from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is a move by the University of Manchester to develop autonomous robots for hazardous environments such as nuclear facilities.
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We will help put the UK at the forefront of global innovation
Researchers at Imperial College London will use some of the funds to try to make advances in the field of surgical micro-robotics.
A major review of artificial intelligence will also be carried out by Professor Dame Wendy Hall at the University of Southampton and BenevolentTech chief executive Jerome Pesenti.
The government announced that £17million would be made available to support the tech sector
The consultancy Accenture estimates the sector could add about £654 billion to the British economy by 2035.
Mr Clark said: “By supporting British businesses and investing in dynamic fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence, we will help put the UK at the forefront of global innovation.”