Despite recent funding cuts by the Labour administration, the UK government insists on its dedication to advancing AI and supercomputing technologies, as it faces challenges in meeting ambitious tech goals.
UK Government Reaffirms Commitment to Supercomputing and AI Amid Funding Controversy
London, UK – The UK government has reiterated its dedication to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing technology, despite recent controversies stemming from Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour administration’s decision to withdraw £1.3 billion in funding for these sectors.
Earlier this month, Labour’s surprise move to cut support for several technology projects, citing inadequate funding allocation by the previous Conservative government, has ignited significant backlash. Among the rescinded financial promises was an £800 million commitment to a supercomputing project at Edinburgh University. This decision has raised concerns among experts who argue that the UK is already trailing behind global leaders in supercomputing capabilities.
Labour’s decision marks a pivotal test for the new government, which must navigate constrained public spending while fulfilling its promises to bolster science and technology to achieve its economic growth targets. Despite the funding cuts, a government official stressed that supercomputing remains a top priority for Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. “Supercompute is still a huge priority for the government — it’s a priority for [tech secretary] Peter Kyle and it’s definitely a desire of his that we get it right,” the official stated. “We want any government money to pack a punch. We are not abandoning supercomputing at all.”
Exascale supercomputing—capable of executing a billion billion operations per second, known as an “exaflop”—is seen as crucial for widespread AI adoption. Presently, there are only two fully operational exascale computers globally, both based in the United States. It’s believed that China also possesses at least one exascale computer, though it has not been verified on international computing capacity leaderboards. Other major economies, including Japan, Europe, and Saudi Arabia, are heavily investing in similar initiatives.
Peter Kyle, speaking to the Financial Times, disclosed that he is “gearing up for a bold approach” with an “AI action plan” currently being developed by Matt Clifford, an entrepreneur and AI expert. This plan, set for a September release, will outline the UK’s future computing needs and methods to fulfil them. Clifford previously stated the UK’s need for substantial investment to support domestic AI companies, highlighting the nation’s deficiency in sovereign computing resources.
The UK has already invested £225 million in an AI-focused supercomputer at Bristol University, named Isambard-AI, which is positioned to become one of Europe’s most powerful exascale-class machines. Meanwhile, two other significant supercomputers—Archer2 at Edinburgh University and DiRAC, a multi-university project—are nearing the end of their operational lifespans within the next two years.
Insiders from the government have clarified that Starmer’s withdrawal from the Edinburgh exascale project does not reflect a diminished vision for the UK’s supercomputing future. Instead, there were concerns regarding the prior budget allocation’s focus. The Edinburgh project, heavily centered on traditional computing for scientific simulations rather than AI applications, was seen as less strategically aligned with Labour’s technology goals. It is expected that the autumn budget will include new commitments matching or exceeding the previous funding levels for supercomputing.
Andrew Griffith, the shadow science minister, contested Labour’s portrayal of the funding as “unfunded,” asserting that it was always intended to be addressed in the 2024 autumn Budget. He criticised the cut as a significant setback for UK tech and a demonstration of lowered ambition regarding Britain’s aspirations to become a science and technology superpower.
Supercomputing experts have expressed mixed reactions to the funding cuts. While some agree that diversifying investments across various supercomputing technologies could be more beneficial, others warn against diluting resources too thinly. Mark Wilkinson, director of the DiRAC facility and a theoretical astrophysicist at Leicester University, advised a strategic focus on impactful projects instead of fragmenting funds across numerous smaller undertakings.
Sir Peter Mathieson, principal of Edinburgh University, has shown restraint from publicly criticising the government’s decision, despite the university investing £31 million of its own funds into the exascale project. He has been in discussions with Peter Kyle and remains hopeful for ongoing dialogue.
Conversely, Ben Johnson, former policy adviser to the previous Conservative tech secretary, highlighted the detrimental effects of poor communication regarding funding changes. He indicated that any postponements in procuring supercomputing capabilities could prove to be highly costly, given the rapidly intensifying market.
As the UK government continues to rework its strategy for supporting supercomputing and AI, the outcomes of these decisions will play a crucial role in determining the nation’s competitive edge in the global tech arena.
