The national institute for data science and AI is focusing its efforts on addressing some of the most pressing issues facing the world today in health, the environment and sustainability, defence and national security, and our increasingly digitised society, according to The Alan Turing Institute’s new strategy launched today (Tuesday 21 March) at AI UK.
The new strategy, centered around grand challenges, will enable and support researchers to work towards a world where machine learning algorithms could detect early warning signs of disease and help doctors to tailor treatments for individual patients, where we could predict the impacts of climate change and guide our mitigations against them, and where predictive analytics could help governments identify and prevent potential security threats.
The strategy also focuses on the impact of digitisation on business, finance, the measurement of the economy and cross-cutting issues of standards, regulation, ethics and impact on policy.
These areas are supported by key capability areas including foundational technologies such as digital twins and large language models; the development of tools, practices and systems; and a taskforce of specialists who will help to translate this into commercial and societal impact.
Since its inception the Institute has advanced research by fostering a diverse and inclusive community of researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers, bringing their unique perspectives and experiences to bear on complex challenges.
The strategy seeks to build on this and respond to the dramatic rise in computer power with the release of large language models like ChatGPT. It also aims to address the risks posed by AI technologies when used without transparent processes and good human oversight. As a result, one of the biggest challenges facing researchers is ensuring these technologies are used ethically and for societal good.
Sir Adrian Smith, Institute Director at The Alan Turing Institute, said: “Data science and AI technologies are advancing rapidly and evolving in unpredictable ways. The speed of these developments is making it increasingly difficult to connect the right people, ideas and data required to make progress on important national and global problems.
“Our strategy aims to address this by encouraging collaboration and developing solutions that will speed up the transfer of skills and knowledge between sectors and inform the public and policymakers on the issues that matter most.”
The Institute’s strategy launches shortly after the Government announced a new £370m Science and Technology Framework to fund areas such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence. The Government’s designation of AI as one of the three transformational technologies recognises its fundamental role in addressing the societal challenges like those outlined in the Turing’s strategy.
The strategy is designed to ensure that the data science and AI leaders of the future are equipped with the necessary technical and professional skills to match the UK’s growing industrial and societal needs. This will only be possible by ensuring the existing gap of skilled data science professionals is filled across all sectors.
It also seeks to address long-standing issues around public perceptions and understanding of data science and AI, involving public voices in the design and deployment of these technologies and providing a balanced and informed view on developments in this fast-moving space.
Dr Doug Gurr, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Alan Turing Institute, said: "I’m thrilled to introduce our new strategy. The future of AI and data science research is really exciting and our grand challenges outlined in this strategy will go a long way to ensuring we continue to advance world class research and apply it for societal good.”
Tabitha Goldstaub MBE, AI Council Chair, said: “In the Government’s National AI Strategy, we set out the need to invest and plan for the long-term requirements of the AI ecosystem. As a national institute the Turing is a crucial part of this. It's exciting to see how their new strategy identifies key areas where data science and AI could have the most societal impact, and importantly recognises the diverse range of communities, experts and perspectives required to make advances. This new focus, together with commitments on skills and improving public understanding, will support the ecosystem to thrive in the coming decade.”
Dr Ruth Boumphrey, Chief Executive at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, said: “I am pleased to see an explicit focus on real world problems and innovation which are both required to make a societal change. The role that The Alan Turing Institute plays in being a trusted advisor in responsible AI for public, business and government is critical. We at Lloyd’s Register Foundation are excited to work with the Institute to realise the vision and ambition of the new strategy.”
The Alan Turing Institute will formally launch its strategy during its AI UK event at 9:30am on Wednesday 22 March.
