Britain wants to pour another £120 million — roughly $160 million — into a government lab that tests the world’s most powerful AI models, an infusion of cash that alone is more than 10 times the annual budget of its US counterpart.
asserted
that → want → counterpart
That money is part of a new AI package that UK Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey previewed ahead of his budget presentation to Parliament on Wednesday.
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Healey → preview → Wednesday
The UK’s government’s decision to devote resources to AI security and research is a response to heightening concerns about AI capabilities and related cybersecurity risks.
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decision → devote → capabilities
It contrasts sharply with the approach in the US, where federal efforts to evaluate AI are receiving far less cash and are shared by different parts of government.
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efforts → contrast → government
In addition to the £120 million infusion, the UK also plans to dole out £60 million to a sovereign AI fund to help boost domestic AI companies, and £18 million to boost homegrown chip design.
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UK → plan → design
And the government will devote £10 million per year to research on how AI is shaping employment.
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AI → devote → employment
“We are incredibly well-placed to succeed — Britain has the only trillion-dollar tech sector in the Western world outside of the United States, the UK’s AI Security Institute is a global leader in frontier model testing, and we have the capital market depth to help companies scale and grow,” a senior UK government spokesperson told Semafor.
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spokesperson → place → Semafor
“The new funding commitments in this budget, alongside investments from US firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, demonstrate that the UK is a global destination for AI firms to do business,” the spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → demonstrate → business
The UK’s AISI, formed in 2023, has more than 100 staffers, including alumni from labs like OpenAI and Google’s DeepMind, as well as from British intelligence agencies and universities.
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AISI → form → agencies
Healey called the package “a distinctively British approach to AI,” predicting it is unlikely to face trouble in Parliament, where his Labour party holds a large majority.
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party → call → majority
The View From Washington
In the US, the Center for Advancing Innovation and Standards for Super Intelligence — recently renamed to reflect President Donald Trump’s choice description for AI — operates on a budget of about $10-$15 million a year within the Commerce Department’s National Institute for Science and Technology.
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Center → rename → Science
CAISSI, which was formed the same year as its UK counterpart under the Biden administration, has undergone major changes since Trump took office for a second time.
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Trump → form → time
It does not currently have a permanent director; the last one, Chris Fall, resigned in July.
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one → have → July
It was originally called the US AI Safety Institute, but the Trump administration removed “safety” from its name in 2025 to make clear its desire to embrace AI acceleration.
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desire → call → acceleration
“[The UK’s] AISI is an extremely impressive organization, in large part because the UK has invested a great deal in it,” Arthur Tellis, a senior technology fellow at the Institute for Progress, a technology think tank in Washington, told Semafor.
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Tellis → invest → Semafor
“While resource improvements are critical, it is also important that CAISSI [has] empowered technically competent leadership, a direct line to the White House, and a business model that allows it to track and shape frontier AI development,” Tellis said.
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Tellis → empower → development
“Right now, CAISSI is simply too small and distant to do this effectively.”
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CAISSI → do → this
The US entity has ongoing agreements with top AI labs to vet their models before release and describes itself as “industry’s primary point of contact” within the US government.
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entity → have → government
The work that the private sector does with it and its British counterpart is voluntary and not required by law.
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sector → do → law
Some in Washington are clamoring for CAISSI to get more resources.
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CAISSI → clamor → resources
That includes members of Congress, along with White House Office of Science and Technology Director Michael Kratsios.
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That → include → Kratsios
A White House spokesperson told Semafor that President Trump asked for $27 million in funding for CAISSI in his FY2027 budget request, a 145% increase over the current budget.
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Trump → tell → budget
“Our allies and our adversaries recognize that now is the time to build the expertise to understand and oversee frontier AI,” Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., told Semafor.
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Trahan → recognize → Semafor
“The United States can’t afford to fall behind.
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States → afford → ?
Paltry funding for CAISSI limits its ability to recruit top talent, support the durable guardrails Congress is working to pass, and help America lead on global standards for this fast-moving technology.”
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America → limit → technology
The bipartisan bill Trahan proposed alongside Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., earlier this year would allocate $100 million for CAISSI annually through 2029.
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Trahan → propose → 2029
There are some who will argue that the US government is putting sufficient resources towards AI development — even if that funding isn’t focused on safety and security.
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funding → be → safety
The Energy Department’s Genesis Mission, for example, just announced $159 million in awards for work on AI-enabled quantum, science, and energy projects.
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Mission → announce → projects
Trump himself has sought to address safety concerns by convening AI executives at the White House to sign a nonbinding “Accord on Super Intelligence” and establishing a new task force on AI led by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton.
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Trump → seek → Clayton
“American SI models are the most powerful models in the world, and President Trump will ensure that America continues to lead in SI innovation,” a White House official told Semafor in a statement.
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official → ensure → statement
“CAISSI will continue to play a role in both pre-deployment testing and the Super Intelligence Force.
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CAISSI → continue → testing
To ensure all components of the SI Force are under one roof, senior CAISSI officials will collaborate with relevant colleagues from the White House,” the official continued.
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official → ensure → House
“The SI Force will work together to accelerate innovation, ensure the safe and responsible deployment of new models, and protect the American people.”
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Force → work → people
Notable
- The New York Times profiled the UK’s AI Institute in May.
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Times → profile → May
- The White House asked OpenAI and Anthropic to refrain from sharing new models with the UK agency before the US government reviewed them, Politico reported in September.
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Politico → ask → September
The Aporia
