Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to coordinate cross-Government compute-related (a) planning and (b) infrastructure.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how the UK can lay the foundations for AI growth, by building the cutting-edge compute infrastructure needed to lead in AI development and deployment. To deliver this commitment, we are working closely across government, including on the creation of AI Growth Zones.
With MHCLG we have updated the National Planning Policy Framework to make it easier to build data infrastructure.
MHCLG will be introducing legislation this year to enable larger data centres to be directed into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects consenting regime on request. As part of this work, DSIT will be producing a National Policy Statement (NPS) on data infrastructure to guide future planning decisions.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the respective compute requirements for AI training and inference; and whether he plans to reflect this distinction in future infrastructure planning.
Answered by Feryal Clark
In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, DSIT is currently developing a long-term compute strategy. At the same time, DSIT and UKRI are taking forward the development of the AI Research Resource, a network of supercomputers, currently consisting of Isambard-AI, in Bristol, and Dawn, in Cambridge, which will increase the UK’s existing public compute capacity by thirty times.
The Government has also committed to expanding the AIRR a further 20 times by 2030 to ensure that the UK has the AI infrastructure and compute capacity it needs to deliver new scientific innovations and discoveries that will drive productivity and growth throughout the economy. This expansion, and the long-term compute strategy – will reflect the evolving demands for training and inference.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to establish AI Growth Zones close to major research centres; and what role compute infrastructure will play in their design.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Universities and research institutions are critical to the UK’s vision for AI. To build upon our strong R&D base and to ensure we’re at the forefront of AI innovation, AI Growth Zones will help secure the UK’s position as a global leader in AI, attracting significant investment and ensuring long-term economic growth.
In February, local authorities and industry, were invited to come forward with potential sites suitable for hosting AI infrastructure as an early expression of interest, and hundreds of responses were received. Further updates will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) universities and (b) research institutions to host compute infrastructure.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Expanding the UK’s compute capability is essential for the development and adoption of AI, scientific research, and improving public services. DSIT and UKRI are taking forward the development of the AI Research Resource, a network of supercomputers, currently consisting of Isambard-AI, in Bristol, and Dawn, in Cambridge, which will be fully operational by the summer. When this capacity is live, it will increase the UK’s existing public compute capacity by thirty times.
In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we have also committed to expand the AI Research Resource (AIRR) by a further 20 times by 2030, and to publish a long-term compute strategy.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) energy and (b) grid access on the deployment of high-performance compute infrastructure.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The Government recognises the importance of continued innovation and improvements in the efficiency of compute infrastructure.
AI Growth Zones will help shift energy demand to areas with more capacity, reducing pressure on congested parts of the grid. DSIT are working closely with DESNZ and the National Energy System Operator to align AI energy demand with future energy planning and ensure long-term sustainability. The Government is working to reform the National Grid connections process, making it easier for data centres to secure a timely grid connection.
Through the AI Energy Council, we will be exploring bold clean energy solutions, from next-generation renewables to small modular reactors, to ensure our AI ambitions align with the UK’s net zero goals.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the National Data Library on AI model training; and what steps he is taking to ensure that data access frameworks (a) enable innovation and (b) safeguard privacy.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The NDL will unlock the value of public data assets. It will provide simple, secure and ethical access to our key public data assets for researchers, policy makers and business – including those at the frontier of AI development – and make it easier to find, discover and make connections across different datasets.
Where data sharing involves personal data, it must comply with the UK’s data protection legislation. This will equally apply to the National Data Library.
We will set out further details on the National Data Library shortly.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans he has to provide compute access to early-stage AI startups.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The Government is committed to removing barriers to growth for AI startups and ensuring that they have access to resources and expertise needed to develop and scale.
Earlier this year, DSIT opened phase 1 of the AI Research Resource for early access to SMEs and startups to drive forward new AI-enabled innovations.