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The Alan Turing Institute has agreed to the government¡¯s demand that it ¡°step up¡± its work on defence, national security and sovereign capabilities.?

Earlier this year? employees at the UK¡¯s national artificial intelligence institute alleged that technology secretary Peter Kyle had threatened to withdraw funding from the organisation if it did not focus more on defence research.

In a ?published?on 15 August, the publicly funded institute¡¯s chief executive, Jean Innes, and chair of the board of trustees, Douglas Gurr, say, ¡°At this time of national need, it is our duty as the UK¡¯s national AI and data science institute to use our unique capabilities to protect the country and help the UK to remain at the forefront of this technological revolution¡±.

The leaders confirmed to?Kyle that Turing will ¡°step up¡± its defence work, as well as strengthening ¡°relationships with the defence, national security and sovereign AI communities at executive and board level¡±.

¡°We will continue to ensure that the Turing is clearly focused on areas where we have unique value to add and represent effective deployment of any public funds,¡± they write.?

¡°We will continue to drive forward high-impact work in environment and healthcare where this work can support the government¡¯s missions and the interests of our philanthropic and private funders.¡±?

Since coming to power, the Labour government has explicitly linked research and development funding to its strategic priorities.?The UK¡¯s new industrial strategy, published in June, positions the defence industry as a key growth sector.

The new focus will mark a shift for the Alan Turing Institute, which was established in 2015 to focus on AI in areas including environmental sustainability and health, as well as defence and security.

In 2024, the government announced a ?100 million investment in the institute, on top of funding already granted through UK Research and Innovation.?

, whistle-blowers from inside the organisation have reported the institute to the charity commission, accusing leaders of misusing public funds and failing to deliver on its mission.?

¡°We are sharply aware of the need to remain coherent and focused, delivering science and innovation of the type which cannot or would not be undertaken by industry or individual universities,¡± the institute's statement says.?

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com