UK Launches First Investment from £500M Sovereign AI Fund, Calls for Public to Let AI Serve Local Development

Many people are concerned about AI's impact on jobs and cybersecurity, but the UK is ramping up AI development. Tech Minister Liz Kendall recently called on the public to "let AI serve the UK", playing down these worries.

The UK government announced the first investment from its £500 million sovereign AI fund, taking stakes in London-based Callosum (which helps chips collaborate for AI training) and another unnamed company. Six startups (including Prima Mente for Alzheimer's research and Cursive founded by ex-DeepMind employees) will get access to government-funded supercomputers in exchange for priority investment rights.

The fund aims to help UK AI firms stay globally competitive, with the goal of shaping the AI revolution and driving prosperity.