The new government pilot programme, aiming to shape global technical standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and explain the UK’s contribution to the field, is being led by the Alan Turing Institute in partnership with NPL, the British Standards Institution (BSI), the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Office for AI (OAI).
The pilot will aim to create practical tools for businesses and organisations, bringing the UK’s AI community together through a new online platform, and developing educational, training and professional development materials to help organisations contribute, develop and meet global standards.
The formation of the hub is a key output of the UK’s new National AI Strategy, which launched in September 2021.
NPL will be utilising its metrology and measurement expertise to provide confidence in the technology and data underpinning AI. Using its world-leading expertise to build the necessary digital technology standards and quality infrastructure, bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds and providing traceability and measurement standards that demystifies and enable trustworthy and explainable AI.
In its pilot phase, the new hub will focus on:
- Growing UK engagement to develop global AI standards by bringing together information about technical standards and development initiatives in an accessible, user-friendly and inclusive way.
- Bringing the AI community together through workshops, events and a new online platform to encourage more coordinated engagement in the development of standards around the world.
- Creating tools and guidance for education, training and professional development to help businesses and other organisations engage with creating AI technical standards and collaborate globally to develop these standards.
- Exploring international collaboration with similar initiatives to ensure the development of technical standards are shaped by a wide range of AI experts, in line with shared values.
Dr Peter Thompson FREng, CEO, NPL said “I am delighted that, following the recommendations made in the National AI strategy last year, we are now launching the UK’s International AI Standards hub pilot. This coordinated UK effort will strengthen our world leading position and is an important step in supporting research and innovators in this area as well as providing a layer of confidence to those using and interacting with AI. As digital technology standards develop at pace it is critical that NPL, as the UK’s National Metrology Institute, applies its expertise to ensure confidence across technologies and the associated data to support a safe and secure digital world. We look forward to working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Office for AI (OAI), BSI and the Alan Turing Institute, to accomplish this.”
Sundeep Bhandari, Strategy Manager, Digital Sector, NPL said: “This is an amazing first in that we’ve brought together some of the key components of the UK’s National Quality Infrastructure to work with cross government departments and academia to pilot and foster a holistic approach to the UK becoming a scientific superpower in an area of strategic importance. The hub provides an environment and opportunity for our world leading scientific researchers to take their work through from the lab to market and enables innovators to access, collaborate and create global standards in one of the emerging high growth areas identified by our National Innovation Strategy. There are so many benefits we could realise: from developing new world-leading products and services to verify AI systems and accelerating the adoption of AI across sectors and society; creating sustainable long term growth opportunities for our industries; and, reinforcing and raising the UK’s global position and profile as a leading digital innovation ecosystem – amongst so many others. We’re very excited to be working with our partners in bringing the hub to life and playing our part in its development as well as the often-invisible measurement standards which form the foundations and provide a layer of resilience.”
12 Jan 2022