Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: AI Sector
Debate between Lord Leong and Lord Patel(1 week ago)
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Lord Leong (Lab)
As Minister for Small Businesses, I spend every day talking to businesses of all sizes, including small AI start-ups. We must ensure that small companies have access to finance to start their business. At the same time, we need to encourage young people to take up AI skills. We are committed to training 10 million young people in AI skills and, so far, 2.2 million have completed programmes.
Lord Patel (CB)
My Lords, I commend the Government for their investment in Isambard 1 computing at Bristol University, which I gather has now had approaches from several hundred SMEs to use its computing power, which is one of the fastest processors globally. What plans do the Government now have to install Isambard 2, which I understand Bristol University would welcome and would increase even further the United Kingdom’s compute power?
Lord Leong (Lab)
The noble Lord is right. We have to invest not only in compute power but in quantum. The Government have set up their programme whereby they will mobilise investment through the sovereign AI fund to invest in some of the supercomputers across the country.