Grants of up to £200,000 per project will be offered.
Researchers addressing AI security threats can apply for funding as part of a £5 million government programme.
The first Challenge Fund launched under the recently renamed AI Security Institute will offer grants of up to £200,000 per project to address pressing, open questions in AI security and safety, such as AI misuse.
Ian Hogarth, AI Security Institute chair, said: “This fund directly supports researchers seeking to understand and address the most urgent AI risks - whether that’s ensuring AI systems remain resilient against misuse, ensuring human oversight over autonomous systems or strengthening our society against emerging threats.”
Feryal Clark, minister for AI and Digital Government, said: “This fund supports world-class research to tackle the toughest safety and security challenges in AI, protecting critical infrastructure and removing barriers to adoption. By addressing these challenges head-on, we’re laying the foundations for AI to boost productivity, strengthen public services and power a decade of national renewal.“
Critical Challenges
The fund will focus on supporting research tackling critical AI security and safety challenges.
The statement from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said that as AI integrates into financial markets, healthcare and energy grids, failures or misuse could cause systemic disruptions and security risks – as such, the research will help boost confidence in AI and make sure our economy is better protected.
The fund will support research into robust controls which will allow humans to reliably monitor and intervene to prevent any emerging risks, even as AI systems operate autonomously. This funding will support research to strengthen protections and reduce these risks.
The AI Security Institute will provide grants to researchers and non-profit organisations worldwide with clear, tangible security solutions. Proposals will be assessed on their potential impact, with priority given to innovations that would not be realised without this support.
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
