UK Harnesses AI Expertise for Public Safety and Transportation Advancements

The British government, funded by Meta, has assembled a team of AI specialists to develop tools for improving transport, public safety, and defense. The initiative focuses on creating open-source systems to enhance infrastructure and security, while keeping sensitive data within government agencies.

The British government announced the recruitment of a specialized team of artificial intelligence experts on Tuesday. Their task is to develop AI tools aimed at advancing transport systems, public safety, and defense capabilities. This significant move, backed by funding from Meta, aligns with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's vision of unleashing the economic potential of AI technology. By boosting productivity across government sectors, Starmer hopes to transform the state's operational efficiency.

The initiative sets a one-year timeline for these AI experts to create open-source tools tailored to public sector needs. The team comprises professionals from the Alan Turing Institute and notable academic institutions, with expertise ranging from computer vision and machine learning to robotics and safety-focused AI designs. The endeavor emphasizes independence from commercial, closed-source systems, as disclosed by the government.

Meta's investment, announced last July, plays a pivotal role in this project. It supports the use of open-source models like Meta's Llama, which processes diverse data types such as text, video, and audio. Crucially, tools developed using these models will be government-owned, safeguarding sensitive data and allowing for adaptable technological integration.

(With inputs from agencies.)