Over the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI), has transformed from a relatively niche area into a powerful tool that is used in many different areas of technology. The applications in which AI is used are diverse: from search engines to autonomous vehicles, from gaming to health and medicine, from finance to creative and generative tools. This is something we at Dehns see with our clients – increasingly AI is forming a part of many different inventions across a range of technical fields.

One of the catalysts for these developments in AI is the availability of computing power that allows the complex calculations necessary for AI algorithms to be performed. Sometimes, the computing power needed cannot be provided by general purpose computers; instead, supercomputers that are housed in dedicated computing centres and can be over a million times faster than general purpose computers, provide such computing power.

Supercomputers don’t come cheap! The last UK government, as part of a strategy to support industries that rely on high power computing and AI, in 2023 announced a commitment of £800m for the creation of an exascale supercomputer at Edinburgh University and £500m for an AI Research Resource to fund AI-specialised computing capacity for public researchers, academia and industry.

Following the general election in July 2024, the new UK government announced that this £1.3bn of funding has been shelved, as part of spending decisions it is taking. Instead, the UK government has launched the Artificial Intelligence Opportunities Action Plan. This aims to set out a roadmap for building a globally competitive AI sector.

While the funding cut to the current supercomputing facility and AI funding may be a setback, hopefully the AI Opportunities Action Plan will help to support the continued development of AI in the numerous innovative industries that are based in the UK and with whom Dehns works.