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Tech industry stakeholders have voiced optimism in the wake of the UK government’s Autumn Budget.
Chancellor John Healey’s inaugural budget includes a £600+ million package to support British AI development, security, and skills capabilities.
Julian David, CEO of techUK, described the funding pledge as a “strong” indication of the government’s focus on AI’s economic potential.
“It signals that government is focused on the right issues on both securing the benefits of AI for the whole of the UK whilst also tackling the biggest questions and challenges around safety, security and economic impact,” he said.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Healey said the government aims to “forge a British way to seize opportunities and guard against the risks” associated with the technology.
On the security front in particular, the government will allocate £165 million for a new National AI Biosecurity Initiative, along with £120 million for the AI Security Institute (AISI).
An additional £60 million, meanwhile, will go toward funding the National Cyber Shield. First announced by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in May this year, the Cyber Shield initiative will build a nationwide defensive network using AI agents.
Investment on this front will be mirrored by a new £70 million Nation Exposure and Real Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre, the government revealed. This will help identify cyber-related weaknesses in critical infrastructure.
Alexandra Rose, Head of Global Affairs, Policy, & Partnerships at Sophos, said investment in AI security capabilities will be critical to the success of the UK industry moving forward.
“Strengthening national cyber resilience and continuing to make cybersecurity a strategic priority is always welcome,” Rose commented.
“As AI accelerates vulnerability discovery and cybercriminal activity, investments such as the proposed National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre offer an important opportunity to strengthen our collective defences.”
Piero Gallucci, Regional VP for UK&I, Veeam Software, echoed Rose’s comments, noting that the investment is a “welcomed” step in the right direction.
“As we scale AI, we must also secure it. And so it’s hugely encouraging to see the Chancellor’s extensive AI growth plan, particularly the £120 million investment in the AI Security Institute and the £60 million allocated to the National Cyber Shield development,” he said.
Sovereign AI in the spotlight
The Budget also confirmed additional funding for the Sovereign AI Fund in the form of a $60 million investment.
Sovereignty has become a recurring flashpoint for firms across the UK and Europe more widely in recent years amidst rising concerns about overreliance on foreign tech firms.
As ITPro reported ahead of the Budget, UKAI said the country risks “becoming a vassal state” due to reliance on overseas technology providers.
The trade body, which represents hundreds of British AI firms, called for heightened investment in sovereign AI and compute capabilities to bolster self-reliance.
According to Downing Street, increased support for the Sovereign AI Fund will “enhance its ability” to invest in UK AI companies and support scaling.
“This will include expanding into a new focus area of Physical and Industrial AI,” the government said in a statement.
Mark Boost, CEO at Civo, welcomed the investment, noting that support for home-grown firms must be a priority for the government.
“Much of today’s Budget is encouraging, with the government having set out genuine ambition for the country’s digital future. Whether that ambition reaches British companies is a different story,” he said.
“If public spending continues defaulting abroad, AI will be running on foreign providers’ platforms, with all of the value produced flowing overseas. All of the government’s best-laid plans for its AI goals will go awry if its procurement bravery fails to match its rhetorical ambition.”
Elsewhere, an additional £60 million will support the Sovereign AI’s R&D Procurement Scheme, Healey announced.
Downing Street said this will help provide “innovative solutions to challenges across the health and care system” as well as in AI security and adoption.
Boost once again reiterated that the focus should be directed toward supporting home-grown companies.
“Schemes like the new £60 million R&D Procurement competition are designed to help UK AI hardware and software companies deploy solutions at scale across public services like the NHS,” he said.
“But the sad truth is that UK public cloud spending has defaulted to US hyperscalers for years. Expanding the Sovereign AI Fund with an additional £60 million in equity capacity will help ensure homegrown AI scales securely and sustainably.”
