The Defence Committee is today launching a Sub-Committee on
Developing AI Capacity and Expertise in UK Defence, chaired
by . The Sub-Committee’s
inquiry will ask how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) can ensure the
UK defence sector has the capacity and expertise it needs to be a
leader in defence artificial intelligence (AI).
The Sub-Committee will examine how the MOD can meet its aim, set
out in the 2022 Defence AI Strategy, of strengthening the defence
and security AI ecosystem. The Committee will consider how the
MOD can best support the UK defence sector to reap the benefits
of the growing importance of AI and champion UK tech to give the
UK a competitive edge in AI development.
The inquiry will examine whether the MOD has clear priorities for
the type of AI capacity the UK should have, and whether these are
deliverable. The inquiry will also focus on UK industry, asking
how the Government can help develop domestic engineering and
software sectors and how UK AI companies can be embedded in
defence supply chains, both domestically and internationally. The
inquiry will take a look at AUKUS Pillar 2 and ask how the UK’s
AI sector can be championed in this context.
The deadline for written evidence is Wednesday 17 January 2024.
Chair of the Sub-Committee on Developing Defence AI,
, said:
“Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionise the
defence and security landscape. The UK needs to be ready to seize
the opportunities presented by this change. AI technology is
developing rapidly – if we don’t move fast now, we risk falling
behind.
“British companies have what it takes to pioneer the defence
technologies of tomorrow. Our inquiry will explore what the MOD
is doing to ensure the UK’s defence sector has the capacity and
the expertise it needs to be a world leader in AI-enabled
defence.
“Eighteen months on from the publication of the MOD’s Defence AI
Strategy, our Sub-Committee will ask whether the MOD is
translating ambition into action. We will engage experts and
industry to find out how the MOD can spur on innovation and
research, as well as embed UK AI companies into defence supply
chains at home and abroad. This inquiry will also explore how the
UK’s AI sector can benefit from Pillar 2 of AUKUS and its focus
on advanced capabilities.”
The Committee welcomes written evidence on the
following:
- How clearly has the Ministry of Defence set out its
priorities for the kind of AI capacity and expertise it believes
the UK defence sector should have, what priorities has it
identified, and are these deliverable?
- What strengths and expertise does UK industry currently have
in the field of Artificial Intelligence with defence
applications?
- How can the UK Government best develop capacity and expertise
within domestic industry in sectors such as engineering and
software to support the development and delivery of Artificial
Intelligence applications in defence?
- What can the Government do to help embed UK AI companies in
defence supply chains, both domestically and internationally?
- How can the UK Government ensure that it champions the UK AI
sector in the context of Pillar 2 of the AUKUS Partnership?
Each submission should be no longer than 3,000 words and contain
a brief introduction about the author. Submissions should be in
malleable format such as MS Word (not PDFs) with no use of
colour, logos or photos. Further guidance is available on our
Written Evidence
Guidance.
