UK government launches initiative to shape global standards for AI

The Alan Turing Institute has been selected to lead the pilot of a new AI Standards Hub supported by the British Standards Institution and National Physical Laboratory. The hub, a part of the National AI Strategy, aims to amplify the UK’s contribution towards the development of global AI technical standards.  

The new AI Standard Hub will bring the UK’s AI community together through a new online platform, create practical tools for businesses, and even develop educational materials to help organisations develop and benefit from global standards.

The Hub will also work to complement pro-innovation regulation, improve the governance of AI, and unlock the huge economic potential of these technologies to boost investment and employment.

BSI, the UK National Standards Body, and NPL will share their expertise in developing standards to deliver the pilot with The Alan Turing Institute, the national institute for data science and AI. The hub is also backed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Office for AI (OAI). 

The initiative follows a research report projected over 1.3 million UK businesses using AI by 2040. The AI spend is expected to reach more than £200 billion by then, the report noted.

DCMS Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Chris Philp said, “It marks the first step in delivering our new National AI Strategy and will develop the tools needed so organisations and consumers can benefit from all the opportunities of AI. We want the UK to lead the world in developing AI standards.”

In its pilot phase, the new hub will also focus on exploring international collaboration with similar initiatives to ensure the development of technical standards are shaped by a wide range of AI experts.