The UK government is planning to announce new measures to help artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics researchers to commercialise their breakthroughs.
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) announced on Monday that it will include a number of AI-related proposals in its upcoming Digital Strategy document, which will be unveiled in Parliament on Wednesday.
As part of the Digital Strategy, DCMS said it expects to announce an AI review that will be led Southampton University professor Wendy Hall and ex-IBM scientist Jérôme Pesenti, who is now the CEO of London healthcare startup Benevolent.AI.
The government is also expected to announce a £17.3 million investment into robotics and AI that will be given to UK universities via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
"There has been a lot of unwarranted negative hype around AI but it has the ability to drive enormous growth for the UK economy, create jobs, foster new skills, positively transform every industry and retain Britain’s status as a world leader in innovative technology," said Hall in a statement.
"I’ll focus on making recommendations and proposing actions that industry and government can take to promote the long-term growth of the AI sector to ensure this incredible technology makes a positive economic and societal contribution."
The government department did not specify how long the review is likely to take.
The UK has built a reputation for being one of the most advanced countries in the world when it comes to the development of AI. DeepMind, a London AI lab acquired by Google in 2014 for £400 million is leading the race to develop human-level AI.
Cul
ture Secretary Karen Bradley said in a statement: "We are already pioneers in today's artificial intelligence revolution and the Digital Strategy will build on our strengths to make sure UK-based scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs continue to be at the forefront.
"Technologies like AI have the potential to transform how we live, work, travel and learn, and I am pleased that Professor Dame Wendy Hall and Jérôme Pesenti will be leading this review."
Last November, Accenture estimated AI could add in the region of £654 billion ($814 billion) to the UK economy by 2035.
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