New AI security initiative set to boost the UK’s resilience against hostile threats

Monday 25 Nov 2024

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The Turing is partnering with key players across the AI security ecosystem on a priority UK Government initiative which will protect the nation from malicious use of AI and attacks on our AI systems, to stay one step ahead of the UK’s adversaries.

The new Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) project was announced today by Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference.

The initiative will employ a ‘catalytic’ model, receiving an initial £8.22m round of government funding, inviting further investment and collaboration from industry.

Partners include the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), National Cyber Security Centre, the MOD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, The Alan Turing Institute, the AI Safety Institute, the University of Oxford, Queen’s University Belfast and Plexal.  

Addressing cyber and defence experts, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said: “The lab will pull together world-class industry, academic and government experts to assess the impact of AI on our national security."

Within the LASR partnership, the Turing’s Defence and National Security Grand Challenge will deliver research on AI security, in close partnership with GCHQ and NCSC, to support their missions to protect the national security of the UK. Specific challenges that will be addressed in the research include understanding vulnerabilities in AI models, detecting interference in AI models and exploring how to build safeguards to prevent models being used for malicious purposes, alongside Socio-technical aspects of AI and security.

The Turing will also be driving the commissioning of research on AI security in the UK academic ecosystem through a series of open calls and targeted partnerships across HEIs. In addition, the Turing will be seeking to partner with academic partners in key allied nations, starting with the Five Eyes community.  

The Turing’s Defence and National Security programme has a long history of delivering research alongside the national security and defence communities, in the UK and internationally, to support UK and Allied Strategic Advantage in AI and data science.

Dr Jean Innes, CEO of The Alan Turing Institute said: “The adoption of AI offers huge opportunities for businesses and public services, but we won’t realise the potential of these technologies unless we protect them from interference and attack. Mobilising the UK’s world-leading AI security research community to address this challenge will keep us one step ahead of those who seek to cause us harm.”

Professor Tim Watson, the Turing’s Director of Science and Innovation for Defence and Security, said: “In an increasingly volatile world, we face adversaries who want to subvert or manipulate technologies such as artificial intelligence. We’re delighted to play a central part in LASR which will bring together leading expertise from government, the security services, research institutions and industry to protect our AI systems and ensure that AI can achieve its transformative potential.” 

Top image credit: Kenstocker via Adobe Stock