UK's MoD launches Defence Centre for AI Research
The Centre will focus on the problems limiting AI advances, such as low short learning, human-centred AI, and ethics
The UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the Alan Turing Institute are launching a new research centre to focus on the core problems that are associated with AI advancement.
The Ministry of Defence hopes that the Defence Centre for AI Research (DCAR) will boost both the UK economy and the country's defence posture.
Between five and eight new academic posts will be created at the Centre's launch in September 2022, although more positions may come later.
Some of the example areas the DCAR will focus on include:
- low short learning - the ability to train machines to learn without the need for vast amounts of data
- the application of AI to war gaming
- understanding the limits of AI models
- managing multiple sensors
- human-centric AI
- ethics
Glen Hart, senior principal scientist from DSTL, said, "The DCAR will be a centre of excellence which provides real focus to developing and applying AI ethically in defence contexts."
The Government launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy last September, although notably left out the defence sector. It said at the time that approaches the MoD would adopt around AI would be published 'in due course' in consultation with the Alan Turing Institute, and this appears to be the promised follow-up to that announcement.