Bristol's £80M Initiative: Supercharging AI in the UK

Bristol researchers enhance Artificial Intelligence in groundbreaking £80million UK project

In terms of news, specialists are assisting in positioning the UK at the forefront of AI advancements, utilising it to revolutionise current applications and address significant global issues.

Mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists from the University of Bristol have come together for a new national initiative. The goal is to explore the possibilities of AI in many areas, such as healthcare, pandemics, cities, finance, and the environment.

With £21 million in funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the University is establishing two national AI research hubs to advance important research, expertise, and innovations that will enhance the versatility and reliability of AI.

The AI for Collective Intelligence (AI4CI) hub aims to create new AI technology that can utilise the intelligence present in diverse groups of individuals and devices. This technology is intended to enhance both individual and collective decision-making processes. This already happens organically when people share, compare, and filter information, but emerging AI provides the opportunity to utilise this type of collective knowledge on a large scale, providing customised help and guidance for individuals and governmental agencies.

For instance, analysing patterns in the experiences of individuals with diabetes might be used to offer personalised proactive advice directly to patients through intelligent agents. There is also a possibility for new ideas to be used to enhance NHS policies for assisting patients with suitable treatments and technologies. This would allow patients to better handle their illness, assisting them in avoiding severe episodes that necessitate hospitalisation. Major difficulties involve seeing consistent patterns, predicting and comprehending shifts in a patient’s situation, and providing valuable customised suggestions that also guarantee privacy, safety, fairness, and confidence.

AI can also help during significant public health emergencies. For example, the Hub’s epidemic resilience theme will review the modelling and analysis done during the COVID-19 epidemic, examining how new AI methods could enhance centralised policymaking and enable individual decisions in a future pandemic.

Hub Director Professor Seth Bullock, Toshiba Chair in Data Science at the University of Bristol, stated: “The primary goal of our Hub is to make practical AI accessible to ordinary individuals, particularly those who may not otherwise have access to its advantages.” Contemporary AI relies on vast quantities of data gathered from individuals, while collective intelligence research aims to empower people to directly reap the benefits of the AI systems powered by that data. We are eager to begin.

Intelligent energy grids, networks of self-driving cars, groups of drones, and stock markets all utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance automation and effectiveness. However, there is still significant potential to enhance the dependability and safety of such systems.

Up until now, the majority of AI research has concentrated on discrete systems created for a specific purpose. The INFORMED-AI hub will investigate if numerous interacting AIs produce higher intelligence and enhanced performance in different real-life scenarios.

Professionals will utilise information theory, constructing theoretical underpinnings and algorithmic methods, to investigate the functioning of different AI networks. Reliability and protection against harmful bots are important areas of emphasis. In the past, these methods have been crucial to the advancement of mobile networks, the internet, and communication in outer space.

Machine learning, cybersecurity, statistics, and quantum systems will be utilised to discover the most efficient methods for handling extensive datasets and various AI models. In the end, this will enhance both dependability and confidentiality.

Hub Director Sidharth Jaggi, a professor specialising in information and coding theory at the University of Bristol, stated: “This research will not only assist in addressing our present concerns regarding the integration of AI technologies, but the underlying mathematical work will also be relevant to future research.” We are glad to be following in the footsteps of Alan Turing and Claude Shannon, and we hope to have a similar influence on AI research and development for many years to come.

There are nine hubs in total across the country, with three concentrating on mathematics and computational research that is crucial for AI and six looking into AI for science, engineering, and real-world data. Bristol specialists will collaborate with several centres throughout the UK, including Lancaster and Edinburgh.

Professor Evelyn Welch, the leader of the University of Bristol, expressed her enthusiasm over the news, stating that it is great for the university and the city as a whole. She believes that it confirms their leading role in the AI revolution. Artificial intelligence is changing the world we are familiar with, playing important roles that range from fighting against cyber threats to enhancing energy efficiency.

“These new centres will explore and advance innovative discoveries in various areas that impact our daily lives.” Two of the centres will be located in Bristol, which is appropriate since we are also looking forward to the arrival of Isambard-AI, the most powerful supercomputer in the UK, this summer. I am excited to keep track of the advancements in this globally recognised study and knowledge.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which is also a part of UKRI, has funded an additional ten scoping studies to help define responsible AI in the fields of education, law enforcement, and the creative industries.

Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of EPSRC, stated: “Artificial intelligence is already changing our world.” EPSRC backs cutting-edge research to unleash its potential and guarantee its ethical and responsible development and utilisation. Extended research funding has resulted in groundbreaking progress that has made AI a potent tool for numerous applications.

“These centres will provide groundbreaking AI advancements and resources in areas such as healthcare, energy, smart cities, and the environment.” They will accomplish this by addressing important obstacles and enhancing our comprehension of AI, which will contribute to the advancement of productivity and economic growth that this technology has promised.

The centres, overseen by eight institutions but operating across the country, aim to guarantee that the UK maintains a prominent position in AI research, innovation, and ethical implementation.

Bristol specialists at INFORMED-AI will collaborate with the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and Durham University, together with industry partners. The AI4CI Hub is a partnership between the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Ulster, and University College London (UCL).

According to Minister for AI Viscount Camrose, our encouraging approach to AI innovation has made the investment in these new projects possible. The consultation response to the AI Regulation White Paper that we have presented today will enable us to continue with our plan, advancing the next generation of impressive AI advancements.

“These centres will support the development of innovative advancements, including improvements in healthcare treatments, more energy-efficient electronics, and advancements in machine learning and chemical discovery.”

“The new projects carried out by BRAID will also contribute to establishing responsible AI in important areas like education, policing, and the creative industries, which will help maintain public confidence in the technology as we continue to utilise its potential.”

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