The UK's £1.3 billion ($1.66 billion) plan for AI and tech investment that included an £800 million ($1 billion) exascale supercomputer at Edinburgh University has gone up in smoke.

The blueprint for Edinburgh's computer was revealed in October 2023, and described as "game changing" by the then administration. The game has indeed changed, but perhaps not in the way the previous government imagined.

The powers that be changed in July, and the incoming administration has looked at the proposal, which called for Edinburgh to host a next-generation compute system 50 times more powerful than the UK's current top-end kit, and decided to pull funding.

As is customary, there has been the usual finger-pointing over the whys and wherefores. On one side is the current UK government, which is looking to trim budgets. On the other side is the previous administration, which is criticizing the decision.

In addition to the £800 million Exascale program, £500 million ($638 million) extra funding for the AI Research Resource this year and next will also be cancelled, although the £300 million ($383 million) already committed will continue as planned.

Also announced at the end of 2023 was the Dawn supercomputer, which can be found at the University of Cambridge. Part of that already-committed AI Research Resource investment has gone into the first phase of the supercomputer, but the second phase, which would have upped performance by 10x, according to the Research Computing Services at the University of Cambridge, remains up in the air at present

A spokesperson for DSIT said: "The government is taking difficult and necessary spending decisions across all departments in the face of billions of pounds of unfunded commitments. This is essential to restore economic stability and deliver our national mission for growth.

"We have launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan which will identify how we can bolster our compute infrastructure to better suit our needs and consider how AI and other emerging technologies can best support our new Industrial Strategy."

The decisions have not gone down well. Barney Hussey-Yeo, founder and CEO of Cleo AI, took to X to criticize the move, warning that a reduction in investment and a raising of taxes risked pushing entrepreneurs to the US. Hussey-Yeo wrote: "The UK needs to lead in AI if we're going to get back to growth..."

Lee Myall, CEO of Neos Networks, a connectivity specialist, said that the UK was poised to be a major player in the burgeoning world of AI, but "significant" investment was required.

Myall said, "Advanced supercomputing facilities and data centres are essential to support the intensive computational demands of AI research, development, and deployment. This infrastructure will provide the necessary backbone for processing large datasets and running complex AI algorithms.

"The UK government needs to prioritise these investments to solidify its position as a global hub for AI technology and services, or risk losing ground to other more ambitious nations."

The DSIT spokesperson said: "We are absolutely committed to building technology infrastructure that delivers growth and opportunity for people across the UK."

Some observers tried to look on the bright side. Kevin Cochrane, CMO at Vultr, noted that the pace of AI development meant the opportunities for the technology today were not where they were 12 months ago. "This announcement gives the UK the chance to refocus, look at the long-term potential of the technology, its impact on businesses, and how to position the nation so that it reaps all the benefits this technology can provide."

Most, however, reacted negatively to the cut. Andrew Philpott, VP EMEA at ExtraHop, called the decision "short-sighted."

"Cutting-edge tech infrastructure attracts international talent and investment, enhancing the UK's global standing," he said. "Reducing this investment now not only risks losing our competitive edge but also sends a negative signal to potential investors and innovators.

"The tech sector is crucial for the UK economy. Instead of reducing investment, the government should increase support to secure the UK's position as a global leader in innovation. Investing in technology and AI is essential for the UK's future prosperity and maintaining its role in the global technology landscape." ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/08/05/axe_exascale_uk_edinburgh/