- The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
launches new innovation programme supporting the use of
artificial intelligence to reduce carbon emissions
- the AI for Decarbonisation programme forms part of the
government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio
- the programme aims to stimulate further innovation in the UK
in AI, to drive growth and achieve Net Zero targets
Today (Tuesday 22 November) the government has launched a new
innovation programme which will support the use of artificial
intelligence (AI) to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions.
The AI for Decarbonisation Programme, backed by £1.5 million in
funding, forms part of the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation
Portfolio, and comprises separate streams of grant funding to
be launched in 2 initial stages.
Stream 1, worth up to £500,000, will be made available to co-fund
a virtual centre of excellence on AI innovation and
decarbonisation through to March 2025, while Stream 2, worth up
to £1 million, will fund innovation projects which further the
development of AI technologies to support decarbonisation.
Later in 2023, the government intends to make additional funding
available to support priority areas in AI innovation identified
by the virtual centre of excellence as being critical for
achieving net-zero.
Science Minister said:
The UK is one of the world’s most advanced AI economies, and AI
technology is already having a transformative impact on our
economy and society. But there is tremendous potential to do
more.
The AI for Decarbonisation programme offers an exciting
opportunity to leverage and develop the UK’s outstanding
expertise in the field. Putting this rapidly-evolving technology
into action will enable us to save energy costs for businesses
and households, create high-value, skilled jobs, and kickstart
millions of pounds of private investment while supporting our net
zero targets.
The programme’s objective is to stimulate further innovation in
the UK in the AI sector, to drive growth and achieve our net zero
ambitions by encouraging collaboration in the field across the
technology, energy and industrial sectors. The programme builds
on ideas developed in the National AI Strategy
published last year which set out the ways in which AI is
able to support the UK in meeting its decarbonisation targets.
Projects specifically encouraged to bid for funding include uses
of AI which could enable a faster transition to renewable energy,
decarbonise industry by improving energy productivity and fuel
switching, and decrease emissions in the agricultural sector.
The AI for Decarbonisation Programme is anticipated to increase
market growth in the UK, reduce the cost of energy for a more
competitive UK industry, leverage private investment in AI, and
increase the consideration of ethics, bias and equity in AI
technologies with decarbonisation applications.
The programme opens for applications on 22 November 2022, and
closes on 19 January 2022. Applications can be made through the
AI for Decarbonisation
funding page.
