A newly-launched initiative will create tools for professional development to help businesses engage in the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) technical standards.
The AI Standards Hub, announced today by the DCMS, is part of the UK’s ten-year National AI Strategy and aims to increase the country’s contribution to the development of global AI standards.
Led by the Alan Turing Institute and supported by the British Standards Institution and National Physical Laboratory, the initiative will provide businesses with education and training in order to improve the governance of AI and boost investment and employment following Brexit.
In November 2021, a survey commissioned by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) found that limited technological capabilities and poor access to data are preventing investment in AI.
The AI Standards Hub also aims to promote collaboration among the AI community within the UK and abroad, as new research predicts that 1.3 million UK businesses will use AI by 2040 – up from 432,000 in 2020.
DCMS minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Chris Philp said that it’s imperative the UK remains at the forefront of this transformative technology.
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“Today I’m confirming that the renowned Alan Turing Institute will lead the trial of a new UK programme with support from the British Standards Institution and National Physical Laboratory to help shape and improve the global standards for artificial intelligence,” he added.
According to Philp, the AI Standards Hub “marks the first step” in delivering the UK’s National AI Strategy and “will develop the tools needed so organisations and consumers can benefit from all the opportunities of AI”.
The AI Standard Hub’s activities are yet to be specified and will be developed by a series of roundtables led by The Alan Turing Institute.
The Institute's chief executive Adrian Smith said that it “looks forward to working closely with our partners in establishing the AI Standards Hub, leveraging our expertise and networks to build and engage an inclusive, multi-stakeholder community around AI standardisation”.
The announcement comes weeks after the Cabinet Office's Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) developed a “landmark” algorithmic transparency standard that aims to eliminate biases in AI applications.
