UK Must Build Its Own AI to Avoid Foreign Dependence, Turing Institute Chief Says
The UK should build its own artificial intelligence systems rather than rely on foreign tools that could be restricted or switched off, the head of
The UK should build its own artificial intelligence systems rather than rely on foreign tools that could be restricted or switched off, the head of the Alan Turing Institute has warned. George Williamson says national resilience is now a central priority as AI moves into services the country depends on.
Williamson’s remarks come as the institute, the UK’s leading AI research body, enters a new phase under fresh leadership. The government, its main funder, has called for a strategic shift.
Risks to critical services
Williamson argued that relying on systems Britain cannot inspect or control could leave the country exposed, particularly when AI is used in defence, national security, critical infrastructure and healthcare.
“As AI becomes more embedded in critical services,” he said, the UK should not depend solely on systems that could be restricted or turned off.
The warning reflects concern about the concentration of advanced AI development in the United States and China. Williamson said the UK needs a stronger domestic footing in the technology, with resilience shaping the institute’s work.
The stakes are practical. If a foreign provider limits access, organisations using its technology could lose tools they rely on, while having little ability to examine how those systems operate.
Access to advanced models
A recent US decision highlighted those concerns. In June, Washington temporarily blocked the release outside the country of Anthropic’s latest models.
US officials have also reportedly asked leading AI companies to prevent their models from being tested by the UK’s AI Security Institute until they have been examined by its US counterpart. The source material did not provide further details on the request.
The episode points to a wider challenge for governments seeking to assess powerful AI systems while relying on companies and technologies based abroad. Williamson’s call is for Britain to develop its own capabilities, not to depend entirely on systems whose access another country or provider could control.
“We shouldn’t depend solely on systems we can’t inspect or control, or that could be restricted or even switched off,” Williamson said.
Source: theguardian.com
