Secret military AI project was ‘best in world'... then MoD shut it down
The project, which was based at the secretive Porton Down military research facility in Wiltshire, was abandoned in March in what defence sources called a 'spectacular own goal'.
The decision was taken despite Sir Keir Starmer announcing that defence spending would rise from 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent from 2027.
The funding cut had knock-on impacts for two notable projects: One creating a new tool to better recognise so-called ' deep fakes ' and another connecting AI censors on different pieces of military equipment.
The Strategic Defence Review, which was published on Monday, makes a string of pledges about investment and underlines the importance of AI in future battlefields. However, there is no commitment to restart the Porton Down AI program.
Industry figures involved in the work were briefed on the decision in March. Government scientists working on the programme were said to be taken aback when it was closed.
One defence source familiar with the research said: 'The work has just ground to a halt. It has been the most spectacular own goal I've seen in all my time working in defence.
'We were world-leading at something. We were going to be the first country to have this type of technology. And, for absolutely unexplained reasons, the research has been scrapped.
'I do think it has been more cock-up than conspiracy. Ministers have made the decision to axe funding but I don't think they properly knew the impact it would have.'
Wider defence investment in AI continues. AI-enabled weaponry and machinery will be purchased. A new Defence Innovation Agency is also being set up, though specifics remain unclear.
But critics of the decision are noting that the Porton Down work would have given the UK the edge over hostile powers, creating AI military technology not yet publicly available.
The standalone AI research programme received around £20 million a year and in turn funded various individual projects. Two projects in particular were impacted by the program's closure.
One was to create a next generation AI deep fake detection tool. It was sometimes known as an Evita system, standing for 'evaluating video text and audio'.
The tool would have brought benefits to the intelligence services and police forces as well as military chiefs, allowing for rapid analysis to determine the accuracy of newly emerging footage.
But the future of the drive has been thrown into uncertainty by the funding decision.
A second project is called Bright Corvus. It was, broadly, an attempt to make an AI sensor system that would connect the likes of drones, ships, satellites and fighter jets.
It is understood that the project was originally meant to last for 10 years but has been wrapped up after five due to the change in the funding position.
The decision to close down the standalone programme has raised eyebrows in part because it was taken just as the Ministry of Defence puts more emphasis on the importance of AI in the wars of the future.
One line in the strategic defence review says 'an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence within the UK's conventional forces'.
The Government has also delivered a marked increase in the defence budget, freeing up billions more pounds a year for military investment.
In the wake of Donald Trump's return to the White House and his warnings that Europe must do more to handle its own security, Sir Keir now talks of a 'new era' in the realm of defence.
He has promised to increase defence spending and set a new 'ambition' to hit 3 per cent in the early 2030s.
However, the Government risks being forced to go faster, with a Nato summit later this month expected to commit states to hitting 3.5 per cent by 2032.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'AI continues to be a major area of research for defence, and we are embedding AI across all our research programmes to drive better delivery, rather than through a single programme – which came to an end in March.
'The Strategic Defence Review prioritises a greater use of autonomy and AI and we will spend at least 10 per cent of our equipment budget on innovative new technologies.
'We're also establishing a new innovation organisation, with a ring-fenced budget of £400 million, to help deliver more cutting-edge technology to the Armed Forces'.
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