Engineering news
Coming just days after the Autumn Budget, the long-awaited white paper aims to make the UK the “world’s most innovative nation by 2030.” Confirming a recently-announced increase in research and development funding to 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027, the strategy also promised £725m for an innovation-nurturing “challenge fund.”
The strategy, launched by business secretary Greg Clark, also announced “sector deals” focusing on four specialist areas – construction, automotive, life sciences and AI – and four “grand challenges” – clean growth, ageing society, the future of mobility, and, again, AI.
The technology could add £232bn to the UK economy in 12 years, the report claimed. A newly-formed government office will prioritise “rapid adoption of AI technologies at scale” in six business sectors, including manufacturing, construction and energy, as well as cybersecurity, life sciences and agriculture.
The technology currently lacks creativity or finesse but is perfectly suited for repetitive, highly accurate and quick work, said Lancaster University researcher Ben Wohl to Professional Engineering.
“In manufacturing… there will be lots of opportunities for integration of humans and machines working close together,” he said. “It won’t necessarily be that you’ll have jobs being directly replaced one-to-one, you’ll have an artificially intelligent system working with human beings to ensure precision or quality checks.” The most “dangerous, difficult or time consuming” operations will also be ripe for AI application, he added.
More training needed
Alongside the new government office, an industry-led council, £45m PhD fund and other smaller investments, the Industrial Strategy’s AI focus could also benefit from £84m for improving computing teaching and increasing participation, and plans for a technical education system “that rivals the best in the world.” The strategy includes £406m for wider training in maths, digital and technical skills.
Broader AI training is needed for the technology to find widespread success, said Wohl, but he said it must be “more nuanced” than existing education, highlighting its limits and the risks of in-built biases.
As well as the sectors receiving special focus, AI could also “transform how we operate and maintain our infrastructure”, said National Infrastructure Commission chairman Lord Adonis. Prime Minister Theresa May called it one of the “big opportunities of our time.”
The UK is well-placed to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution – including AI – said Clark. “We have a thriving research and science base and are home to a wide range of innovative sectors, from advanced manufacturing and life sciences, to fintech [financial technology] and creative industries.”
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily reflect the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.