Latest news with #PeterKyle
Evening Standard
16 hours ago
- Health
- Evening Standard
New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world
UK Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle commented on the research, saying: 'Low-cost technology which could help detect skin cancer early and at home, without even the need for internet access, is an incredible example of AI's potential to break down barriers in healthcare and save lives.
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Wales will become home to new AI Growth Zone, UK Government
Wales has been named as the future home of an AI Growth Zone, part of the UK Government's Plan for Change, which aims to generate economic growth through advanced technology. The zone is expected to attract billions of pounds in investment and create thousands of high-skilled jobs. Peter Kyle, UK secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said: "From the coalmines of the Valleys to Swansea's mantra of 'Copperopolis', Welsh trailblazers were the beating heart of the industrial revolution. "AI is this generation's next great industrial leap, so who better to help drive that change than a nation which has always been a by-word for innovation. "These Growth Zones will revitalize communities in the here and now – unlocking fresh investment and new opportunities for those that have been left out in the cold for too long." AI Growth Zones are designed to accelerate the development of critical infrastructure such as data centres. These centres will support breakthroughs in areas like healthcare, climate science, and other sectors by enabling the processing of vast amounts of data. The plan is part of a broader government strategy to increase the UK's computing capacity twenty-fold—ensuring the infrastructure is in place to train and deploy advanced AI models. Jo Stevens, secretary of state for Wales, said: "Wales is already home to a thriving and growing tech industry and this investment in at least one AI Growth Zone for Wales is a vote of confidence in the Welsh economy and testament to the skills and potential of our workforce. "This is another significant step forward in our central mission to kickstart economic growth, create well-paid jobs and unlock opportunity in the industries of the future." The zones are expected to attract significant private investment, particularly in areas with strong power connections and potential for clean energy use. Wales has already set a target to meet 100 per cent of its electricity needs from renewable sources within the next decade. Work is already underway to establish Wales as a leader in AI, with US-based Vantage Data Centers planning to build one of Europe's largest data centre campuses in the country.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Science
- Express Tribune
Isambard-AI, UK's most powerful supercomputer, goes live in Bristol
A supercomputer, which is now the most powerful in the UK, has been fully activated in Bristol. The Isambard-AI machine, a major leap forward in the country's technological capabilities, was launched by Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, as part of the government's fresh push towards expanding artificial intelligence (AI) resources, as reported by BBC. Kyle officially 'flicked the switch' on the machine during an announcement that also unveiled new AI-related initiatives. The Isambard-AI supercomputer will join a similar machine in Cambridge, called Dawn, as part of the UK's AI Research Resource, which will serve as a vital tool for public sector projects. The supercomputers are expected to aid in tackling critical issues like reducing NHS waiting lists and developing innovative solutions for climate change, despite the known high energy consumption of AI systems. Alongside these announcements, the government revealed plans for substantial investments in AI Growth Zones across Scotland and Wales, aiming to boost regional economies and expand AI's reach nationwide. The Isambard-AI machine had already been involved in a medical project earlier this year, contributing to vaccine development. Now fully operational, it is expected to support a broad range of public sector initiatives. As its name implies, Isambard-AI is a supercomputer designed to complete tasks at an unprecedented speed, utilising thousands of processing units to handle larger datasets faster than traditional computers. This extraordinary capability will enhance the UK's public AI computing infrastructure. The government has announced a training initiative aimed at preparing a million students in AI and providing broad economic training for 7.5 million individuals over the coming years. Isambard-AI, using more than 5,400 Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, was developed by the University of Bristol with public funding, as reported by BBC. It ranks 11th in the world in terms of processing power, according to the most recent Top 500 list of supercomputers. In contrast, Dawn at the University of Cambridge employs over 1,000 Intel chips. David Hogan, Nvidia's European vice president, described Isambard-AI as a "truly transformational machine" but stressed that it is just the beginning of a much broader AI strategy. To bolster these efforts, researchers, academics, and tech leaders, including Google DeepMind's Pushmeet Kohli and the Royal Society's Alison Noble, are collaborating on a national AI strategy set to be unveiled later this year. The UK government believes that further investment in supercomputers will help position the country as a leader in AI development, challenging the global race for dominance in the sector. This move is also aimed at enhancing the UK's competitiveness in the field, with global companies eager to secure the best talent and resources in the AI space.
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
UK's most powerful supercomputer comes online in major AI drive
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle flicked the switch on the Isambard-AI machine in Bristol on Thursday, in a move ministers say will help the UK develop new medical cures and tools to cut emissions. The Government has pledged £1 billion to increase Britain's compute capacity 20-fold by 2030, including through the creation of a series of AI 'growth zones' designed to hasten planning approvals for new data centres. One of these will be built in Scotland, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also confirmed £750 million of funding will be dedicated to developing another supercomputer in Edinburgh, and another in Wales. Together with a second existing supercomputer in Cambridge, Isambard is expected to be able to process in one second 'what it would take the entire global population 80 years to achieve', the Government said. Businesses and scientists are expected to be able to use the systems to process more of the data required to train and build AI models to make new drug discoveries and breakthroughs in climate change technology. Researchers at the University of Liverpool are already using the machine to sift through tens of millions of chemical combinations in the hopes of finding ways to decarbonise British industry. The plans form part of the new Compute Roadmap, a strategy aimed at reducing reliance on foreign processing power and transform the UK's public compute capacity. By 2030, the Government expects this capacity to increase to 420 AI exaFLOP – the equivalent of one billion people spending 13,316 years doing what the system will do in one second. To support the plans, researchers, academics and tech bosses have been brought together to develop an AI science strategy to be published in the autumn. The group includes Google DeepMind vice-president Pushmeet Kohli, vice-president of the Royal Society Alison Noble and chairwoman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Charlotte Deane. Ms Reeves said the plans would 'transform our public services, drive innovation and fuel economic growth that puts money in people's pockets'. Mr Kyle said they would 'put a rocket under our brilliant researchers, scientists and engineers – giving them the tools they need to make Britain the best place to do their work.'
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
UK's most powerful supercomputer comes online in major AI drive
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle flicked the switch on the Isambard-AI machine in Bristol on Thursday, in a move ministers say will help the UK develop new medical cures and tools to cut emissions. The Government has pledged £1 billion to increase Britain's compute capacity 20-fold by 2030, including through the creation of a series of AI 'growth zones' designed to hasten planning approvals for new data centres. The Technology Secretary said the plans would 'put a rocket under' the work of UK researchers One of these will be built in Scotland, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also confirmed £750 million of funding will be dedicated to developing another supercomputer in Edinburgh, and another in Wales. Together with a second existing supercomputer in Cambridge, Isambard is expected to be able to process in one second 'what it would take the entire global population 80 years to achieve', the Government said. Businesses and scientists are expected to be able to use the systems to process more of the data required to train and build AI models to make new drug discoveries and breakthroughs in climate change technology. Researchers at the University of Liverpool are already using the machine to sift through tens of millions of chemical combinations in the hopes of finding ways to decarbonise British industry. The plans form part of the new Compute Roadmap, a strategy aimed at reducing reliance on foreign processing power and transform the UK's public compute capacity. By 2030, the Government expects this capacity to increase to 420 AI exaFLOP – the equivalent of one billion people spending 13,316 years doing what the system will do in one second. To support the plans, researchers, academics and tech bosses have been brought together to develop an AI science strategy to be published in the autumn. The group includes Google DeepMind vice-president Pushmeet Kohli, vice-president of the Royal Society Alison Noble and chairwoman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Charlotte Deane. Ms Reeves said the plans would 'transform our public services, drive innovation and fuel economic growth that puts money in people's pockets'. Mr Kyle said they would 'put a rocket under our brilliant researchers, scientists and engineers – giving them the tools they need to make Britain the best place to do their work.'
