UK puts £60m into two new AI labs for open-source models

The UK government has announced £60 million to set up two new AI labs at Oxford and UCL. The goal is to build open-source AI models that don’t need high-end hardware, reducing reliance on big US tech companies.

Oxford and UCL will work together on basic AI math, model design, and low-power systems. This is a different path from the closed, high-power models common in the US. UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the labs will make AI cheaper, easier to use, and more practical for businesses and public services.

An extra £2 million will fund PhD students, and at least 10 researchers will be hired to grow the UK’s AI talent pool.