The UK Government has unveiled an £82.6 million ($102.5m) joint fund and commitment to AI models created to help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Of this amount, nearly £38m will come from government funding, while the remaining almost £45m will come from other contributors. The money will be directed towards the […]
The UK Government has unveiled an £82.6 million ($102.5m) joint fund and commitment to AI models created to help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Of this amount, nearly £38m will come from government funding, while the remaining almost £45m will come from other contributors.
The money will be directed towards the Research Ventures Catalyst (RVC) programme, which includes three research projects. Two of these projects focus on using AI to support cancer research, drug discovery, and other areas.
The two healthcare-focused projects are PharosAI, an AI platform that uses NHS and biobank data to accelerate cancer diagnoses and treatment, and Bind Research, which uses AI to advance drug discovery.
The other project, MEMetic, uses technology to develop new solutions to facilitate clean water access.
The government also announced that it will expand the UK’s involvement in the European High-Performance Computing (EuroHPC) Joint Undertaking by committing nearly £8m to fund UK researchers and businesses’ participation in EuroHPC research.
EuroHPC is a collaborative initiative that combines EU resources with those of participating states. It allows British AI and high-performance computing researchers and businesses to work seamlessly with their European counterparts.
The announcement was made during the AI Action Summit in Paris, where global leaders congregated to discuss the next steps for AI in terms of opportunity, collaboration, and regulation.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said, “NHS innovation saved my life when I was diagnosed with cancer and treated by a world-class surgeon equipped with a robot. I want more patients to benefit from this kind of groundbreaking treatment, and AI will be central to our efforts.”
Streeting added that the ultimate aim is for AI to help speed up diagnoses, cut patient waiting times, and free up staff.
