Surrey set for new AI training hub

Surrey is set for an artificial intelligence (AI) training hub after the UK government backed the creation of a new centre for doctoral training (CDT) in AI for digital media inclusion.

The new centre, which will be part of the StoryFutures unit at Royal Holloway, university of London, will train a new generation of more than 80 industry-ready PhDs to lead the transformation to responsible AI-enabled inclusive media.

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Surrey County Council is backing the bid and is keen to work with the new centre to establish how public services could be made more accessible to its 1.2 million residents, including the vulnerable.

There is also the potential for the technology to increasingly engage with businesses, fire prevention, community safety services, greener futures and net zero.

The Surrey hub will be one of 12 Centres for doctoral training in AI across the country that will benefit from £117 million of funding through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as announced at last week's global AI safety summit at Bletchley Park.

Cllr Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council, said in a letter: "We are excited by the Centre for Doctoral Training’s (CDT) proposed approach to responding to the national need for a new community of experts who individually and collectively will deliver resilience for our digitalised Critical National Infrastructure.

"We recognise and support the CDT’s aim to develop the underpinning research, training, community-building, and knowledge exchange, contributing 80 highly skilled and connected resilience experts to the workforce.

"The funding bid and subsequent CDT and associated research and expertise will have a significant positive impact on our organisation’s ability to deliver high-quality and sustainable services for all."

Last week, the minister of state at the department for science, innovation and technology, Paul Scully MP said: "With government backing, this centre will break down accessibility barriers in digital media by using AI to create personalised media experiences, meaning everyone can access information and entertainment regardless of age, background, or disabilities."

Surrey County Council has a track record of working with the county’s universities to drive innovation and economic growth.

Last week the local authority’s cabinet agreed to invest £3 million to help establish a new CoSTAR (Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime) satellite studio and incubator space on the RHUL campus.

The council was also partner in a successful bid by Surrey’s Guildford Games Cluster and Warwickshire’s Silicon Spa for £1.5 million from Research England.

The funding will support two of the UK’s biggest gaming clusters to work with higher education to drive innovation, invest in infrastructure and support growth in the wider regional economy through the Games and Innovation Nexus (GAIN) project.

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