University of Edinburgh: Artificial Intelligence
(asked on 19th June 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role the planned AI supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh will have in driving artificial intelligence innovation across the UK; and what is the proposed timescale for its deployment.
Answered by
Lord Vallance of Balham
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Government committed to increase the UK’s AI compute capacity by twentyfold by 2030.
That is why we have committed £1 billion to deliver this expansion and up to a further £750m for a new national supercomputer at Edinburgh, which will replace the UK’s current leading scientific supercomputer ARCHER2. These commitments will position the UK as a leader in AI and high-performance computing, driving innovation and scientific discovery. It is important to note that exascale compute is not necessarily for AI and has many other uses.
The Department will now work closely with UKRI and the University of Edinburgh to deliver the new national supercomputer. We will provide updates in due course.