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UK Government announces £100 million in funding for Foundation Model Taskforce.
The UK government has recently made some big investments in AI
The Taskforce, modelled on the success of the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce, will develop the safe and reliable use of this pivotal artificial intelligence (AI) across the economy and ensure the UK is globally competitive in this strategic technology.
It appears the primary motivation for the investment is to speed up the growth of the UK economy
To support businesses and public trust in these systems and drive their adoption, the Taskforce will work with the sector towards developing the safety and reliability of foundation models, both at a scientific and commercial level.
I don't yet know what the UK government means by "safety', but this might be a promising investment. It seems more likely that this will advance capabilities, considering the government's simultaneous £900 million investment into compute technology.
Sounds like the UK government has no appreciation for the catastrophic risk potential the technology has. At least the investment is not enough make them a major global player.