The government will commit £100 million to establish an artificial intelligence-led biosecurity laboratory, the chancellor is set to announce in Wednesday's Budget. The funding is being presented as part of a package of AI spending aimed at shoring up the UK's defences.
Billed by ministers as a "world-first", the proposed AI Biosecurity Lab is intended to bring together advances in machine learning and biological research. Officials say the initiative will seek to harness computational tools to support work on threats to public health and national biosecurity.
The investment forms part of a broader focus on artificial intelligence in the Budget, with the government signalling increased spending on AI-related capabilities across several departments. The £100m pledge is the headline figure for the laboratory element of that agenda.
Further operational details, including the lab's location, governance arrangements and timetable, are expected to be set out when the chancellor presents the full Budget. The announcement follows growing international attention on the intersection of AI and life sciences and the need for coordinated responses to biological risks.