The UK government has announced funding for two new artificial intelligence research labs based at the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL), aiming to make advanced AI systems cheaper, more reliable and easier for organisations to use
Backed by up to £60 million over the next six years, the AI labs are part of a wider push to strengthen Britain’s position in global AI research and innovation.
The artificial intelligence research labs are supported through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and its Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and also include access to large-scale computing power to help researchers train and develop next-generation AI systems.
A push beyond current AI limitations
While AI is already being used in areas such as healthcare, energy management and scientific research, the government says there is still significant unexplored potential. Current systems often rely on substantial computing power and complex infrastructure, which can limit who can develop and deploy them.
The new AI labs aim to address these barriers by focusing on fundamental improvements in how AI systems are built and trained. This includes exploring ways to reduce reliance on expensive centralised computing resources and developing models that can run on more widely available hardware.
By lowering costs and improving efficiency, the goal is to make advanced AI tools more accessible to businesses, public services and researchers across the UK.
Two complementary research programmes
The funding will support two connected research centres.
The first, based at UCL, is the Science of Fundamental AI Research (SOFAIR) Lab. This lab will focus on developing open-source AI technologies that can operate on more common computing systems. Researchers will draw on expertise from computer science, mathematics, statistics and neuroscience to rethink how AI systems are designed. The aim is to improve reliability and reduce the high infrastructure demands associated with today’s leading models.
The second lab, the British Open-ended Learning and Discovery (BOLD) Lab at Oxford, will focus on how AI systems learn and adapt. Researchers will explore new methods that enable AI to learn more efficiently from data and respond more effectively to new or unfamiliar environments. This includes applications such as improving performance in physical settings and supporting real-world decision-making across sectors such as infrastructure and public services.
Together, the two AI labs are intended to complement each other by tackling both the technical foundations of AI systems and the ways in which they learn and improve over time.
Investment in talent and infrastructure
Alongside funding for research, each lab will invest in developing the UK’s AI workforce. A portion of the funding has been set aside to support doctoral students and early-career researchers, helping to build a pipeline of future talent in the field.
The initiative also includes collaboration with other leading UK research institutions and AI hubs, strengthening links across the national research ecosystem.
Professor Charlotte Deane, Senior Responsible Owner for the UKRI AI Programme and Executive Chair of EPSRC, said:
“The UK is already one of the world’s leading nations in AI research.”
“These labs will put that advantage to work, backing the bold, high-reward ideas that can shape the future of AI. We look forward to working with the labs to maximise the benefits for the UK.”
By focusing on more efficient and accessible approaches to AI, the government hopes to reduce dependence on a small number of global technology providers and support greater domestic capability.
The investment forms part of the broader UKRI AI Strategy, a multi-billion-pound effort to expand AI research and innovation across the country. As the technology continues to evolve rapidly, the new labs are intended to help ensure that its benefits are more widely shared across the economy and public services.
