Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he had with universities on the AI Opportunities Action Plan before its publication.

The Action Plan, which was developed by Matt Clifford, has been informed by a series of external roundtables with experts from across the AI ecosystem, including civil society, academia, investors, and industry. As the plan moves forward, it will continue to engage widely with these stakeholders to ensure its implementation.

The Action Plan also includes new initiatives, such as expanding the Turing AI Fellowships offer and doubling the capacity of the AI Research Resource. The UK’s publicly funded portfolio of AI R&D investments is worth £1 billion, including investments in centres for doctoral training, the Alan Turing Institute, Bridge AI, Responsible AI UK, and AI hubs.