UK invests £100 million to build AI biosecurity lab, OpenAI and Anthropic provide model credits support
The UK announced an allocation of £100 million to establish a laboratory that uses AI to detect and monitor biological threats; OpenAI and Anthropic will provide up to £200 million worth of AI model usage credits, with Google DeepMind and life sciences company Basecamp Research participating in the collaboration. This is part of the UK's approximately £600 million AI health and safety funding program, which also includes an additional £120 million for the AI Safety Institute and an additional £23 million for the planned AI Economy Institute.
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The UK builds an AI biosecurity lab with £100 million, and receives up to £200 million in model credits from OpenAI and Anthropic, presenting a concrete arrangement for government collaboration with frontier model companies to address biosecurity risks.
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UK to invest £100 million to build AI biosecurity lab OpenAI and others to provide model credit support Ifeng Technology Download the app for exclusive early access October 24, 2026 07:47:40 From Beijing
Ifeng Technology News, October 24, Beijing time, according to Bloomberg, the UK announced funding of £100 million (about $134 million) to establish an AI biosecurity lab, which will receive support from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. This is one of a series of measures introduced by the UK government aimed at improving the government's ability to understand and respond to the risks brought by AI technology.
The UK government announced on Saturday a funding plan totaling about £600 million (about $800 million), mainly for guarding against health and safety threats brought by AI. Among this, the largest amount of funding will go to a new biosecurity program, including £100 million to establish a lab that uses AI to detect biological threats, and £65 million to research and develop countermeasures against pathogens.
According to a statement from the UK government, the lab will use AI to detect and monitor biological threats. In addition to government funding, the lab will also receive AI model usage credits worth up to £200 million provided by OpenAI and Anthropic. In addition, the lab will also cooperate with Google DeepMind and life sciences company Basecamp Research.
UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: "As AI becomes more and more powerful, the UK must have the ability to protect its people and master its own future. This means we must not only stay ahead of emerging threats such as cyberattacks and biosecurity risks, but also strengthen independent research and development of key technologies critical to national security."
The plan announced this time also includes an additional £120 million in funding for the AI Safety Institute. The institute is the world's best-funded government agency focused on regularly evaluating frontier AI models. In addition, the UK government will also provide an additional £23 million in funding to the AI Economy Institute, which is being established and will be responsible for analyzing the impact of AI technology on the economy. (Author/Xiao Yu)
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