Introduction
The last decade has seen a dramatic rise in computer power, in data and scientific break-throughs, as in deep learning and neural networks. Together, these advances have led to the emergence of data science and the resurgence of artificial intelligence (AI) – ‘machines that think’, as imagined in Alan Turing’s landmark research paper published in 1950.
Data science and AI have the power to change the world. When the history of the 21st century is written, it now seems inevitable that data, informatics and AI will have had as transformative an impact on society as any of the three previous phases of the industrial revolution.
This power means there are few things more important to the UK’s future prosperity and societal wellbeing than the ethical development and deployment of these technologies.
Who we are
The Alan Turing Institute, headquartered in the British Library, London, was created as the national institute for data science in 2015. In 2017, as a result of a government recommendation, we added artificial intelligence to our remit.
The Institute is named in honour of Alan Turing (23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954), whose pioneering work in theoretical and applied mathematics, engineering and computing are considered to be the key disciplines comprising the fields of data science and artificial intelligence.
Five founding universities – Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford, UCL and Warwick – and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council created The Alan Turing Institute in 2015.
Eight universities – Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Queen Mary University of London, Birmingham, Exeter, Bristol, and Southampton – joined the Institute in 2018.
In 2023 the Institute launched an open university network, providing all UK universities with an interest in data science and AI the opportunity to engage and collaborate both with the Institute and its broader networks.
Find out about the impact we have having through our research, partnerships and activities. See our impact stories for examples of how the Institute works with partners to deliver real-world impact.
Since its inception the Institute has been funded through grants from Research Councils, university partners and from strategic and other partnerships. Find out how the Institute is governed and funded in our annual reports.
Our purpose
Our purpose is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research to change the world for the better.
We are here to help to make the UK the best place in the world for data science and AI research, collaboration, and business.
Our goals
We have three ambitious goals:
Advance world-class research and apply it to national and global challenges: innovate and develop world-class research in data science and artificial intelligence that supports next generation theoretical developments and is applied to real-world problems, generating the creation of new businesses, services, and jobs.
Build skills for the future: contribute to training people across sectors and career stages with the necessary breadth and depth of technical and professional skills in data science and AI to match the UK’s growing industrial and societal needs.
Drive an informed public conversation: provide balance in the public conversation on data science and AI by speaking to its technical, social and ethical dimensions through public engagement and the provision of advice to policymakers, industry and civil society.
Our vision and strategy
In March 2023 we set out our ambitions and vision for the future and set a bold course for the next five years in our strategy, ‘Changing the world for the better with data science and AI’.
A key challenge is that data science and AI will – we believe – continue to evolve in unpredictable ways, and the speed of these developments will make it increasingly difficult to connect the people, ideas and data required to make progress against important societal issues.
In response to this, the Turing will provide an end-to-end, interdisciplinary pathway in data science and AI that enables impact at scale and drives major progress against societal challenges.
Our aim is that ten years from now, the Turing will be internationally recognised as a centre of research and innovation that harnesses the power of data science and artificial intelligence to make a lasting impact on the world's most pressing societal issues.
When people think of data science and AI, they will think about the positive difference it has made to the lives of millions of people around the world.
Learn more about our strategy, including our goals, strategic approach and grand challenges.
A national institute
The Turing, as the UK’s national institute, has a pivotal role to play in working with the UK community to harness data science and AI technologies for the public good. By developing these technologies explicitly with this focus in mind, we can help to compound progress for the better.
Being a national institute enables us to deliver benefits that a single university could not deliver alone. We work across disciplines: at the Turing, computer scientists, engineers, statisticians, mathematicians, ethicists, scientists, and colleagues from the humanities work together under one shared goal, with no departmental boundaries.
Our remit is one of national leadership, providing focus on UK priorities for the public good and supporting the UK’s ambition to be a global leader in data science and AI. This leadership extends not only to science and innovation, but also to public understanding and perceptions of data science and AI, as well the national skills agenda, and leading on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Our international collaborations
The Turing is a key asset to the UK internationally, acting as a ‘front-door’ to the UK’s data science and AI community. We help ensure the UK’s leadership in these areas on a global stage. We leverage the Turing’s brand and reputation to drive international norms and standards, establishing international research relationships and resources, and providing global thought leadership.
Find out more about how to work with us internationally.
To find out more about the Turing, visit our FAQ page.
