The head of the Alan Turing Institute says Britain should build its own AI systems to avoid dependence on US and Chinese tech, boosting national resilience.
The Alan Turing Institute’s new leadership is pushing Britain to build its own AI tech so the country isn’t dependent on foreign systems that could be turned off or restricted. The goal is to boost national resilience by developing domestically owned AI and focusing on uses that serve the public good, like weather forecasting and farming, while hardening critical infrastructure against AI-enabled threats.
That means more government-backed, sovereign AI projects and less reliance on frontier labs abroad. If successful, the UK would retain more control over how AI is used in essential services and security matters.
What happens next: ATI will steer its research toward resilience, threat monitoring, and practical applications for the public, while collaborating with policymakers to shape future AI infrastructure in Britain.
The head of the Alan Turing Institute argues Britain must not be beholden to foreign AI that could be restricted or switched off at short notice. George Williamson said the UK should build its own AI versions and strengthen national resilience as the country navigates the competing pressures from the US and China in the AI race. The institute, the UK’s leading AI research body, is shifting its focus after government funding steered it toward strategic priorities.
Williamson’s remarks come as the UK government signals a broader push to secure critical infrastructure and services from potential AI-driven disruption. He noted that when AI becomes embedded in sensitive areas like defense, healthcare, and essential utilities, the ability to inspect, control, or operate these systems without external permission becomes increasingly important.
“There’s a set of circumstances where it would be a good idea for us to have something that we don’t have to ask other people’s permission to use,” Williamson said. He framed national resilience as the central objective for ATI, pairing it with efforts to counter disinformation and protect critical systems from AI-enabled threats.
ATI would also explore practical uses for AI that benefit the public, such as weather forecasting and farming, while keeping a close eye on how state-led disinformation campaigns could affect democracy. Williamson pointed to recent global conversations about self-sufficiency in AI, including comments from European leaders urging Europe to reduce reliance on American and Chinese technology.
The new direction comes as Britain weighs how to balance openness with security. Williamson’s predecessor left the post amid questions about aligning ATI’s research with defense and security needs, and the new leadership is stressing a sovereign position in AI, one that emphasizes owning more AI capability, even if it means funding different, smaller models rather than chasing the frontier labs abroad.
In practical terms, Williamson said ATI could act as an impartial partner to government and the public, helping to shape AI capabilities that align with British values while safeguarding critical services and infrastructure. He compared the goal to ensuring climate security in the same frame as defense, a framing that aims to broaden AI work beyond pure curiosity or industry competition.
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