Nottingham AI researchers bag slice of £31m UKRI award

Nottingham researchers are amongst a consortium awarded £31m to create an international research and innovation ecosystem for responsible AI, the University of Nottingham (UoN) has revealed.

The funding is part of a suite of AI investments worth £52m unveiled by UK Research and Investment (UKRI) that will bring academic and industry partners together.

The consortium, led by the University of Southampton in partnership with UoN, will seek to develop a “reflective, inclusive approach to responsible AI development.” It will work with businesses and public sector organisations across the UK.

Professor Tom Rodden from the University of Nottingham’s School of Computer Science is co-chair of the consortium’s leadership team.

He said: “The consortium builds on a long history of interdisciplinary research collaboration between Southampton and Nottingham adopting sociotechnical approaches to emerging technologies. This recognises that as these technologies become prevalent in society effective human-AI collaboration and interaction becomes essential so that the research must focus as much on the human and human society as the AI.”

Kedar Pandya, executive director of cross-council programmes at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, added: “The UK’s expertise in the field of AI is a major asset to the country and will help develop the science and technology that will shape the fabric of many areas of our lives. That is why UKRI is continuing to invest in the people and organisations that will have wide-ranging benefit.

“For this to be successful we must invest in research and systems in which can have trust and confidence, and ensure these considerations are integrated in all aspects of the work as it progresses. The projects and grants announced today will help us achieve this goal.”