Google Deepmind, OpenAI and Anthropic are backing a new £100m British AI biosecurity laboratory as the government unveils more than £600m in funding to tackle emerging technological threats.
The lab will use AI to detect and monitor biological threats, bringing together some of the world’s largest AI developers as ministers seek to strengthen Britain’s defences.
OpenAI and Anthropic will provide up to £200m in AI model credits, giving researchers access to their technology, while Google’s Deepmind and London-based life sciences startup Basecamp Research will support the initiative.
The investment forms part of a £165m National AI Biosecurity Initiative announced ahead of Wednesday’s Budget, with a further £65m allocated to biological surveillance and the development of treatments and other countermeasures against dangerous pathogens.
AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the government wanted to establish the facility as a leading international centre for biosecurity research.
“Our new AI Biosecurity Lab will be a major new global institution, bringing together world-leading scientific expertise to protect people from emerging biological threats and ensure Britain leads the world in AI safety and security,” he said.
“As AI becomes more powerful, Britain must have the capabilities to protect its people and shape its own future”.
Britain ramps up AI security spending
The biosecurity project is the largest individual initiative in a wider government funding package targeting cybersecurity, domestic AI development and research into the technology’s economic impact.
The UK’s AI Security Institute will receive an additional £120m to expand its testing of advanced models and research into emerging risks.
A further £130m will be directed towards strengthening cybersecurity, including £60m for a National Cyber Shield designed to use autonomous AI systems to detect and respond to threats.
The remaining £70m will establish a National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability Centre, using AI to identify weaknesses across critical infrastructure and the wider economy.
The investment follows growing government interest in deploying advanced models for defensive purposes.
Narayan recently revealed that the government had spent just £13,000 using AI to identify 500 previously unknown cybersecurity vulnerabilities across parts of the public sector.
An additional £60m will be invested through the Sovereign AI Fund to support British businesses developing robotics, autonomous systems and industrial AI, alongside £60m for research and procurement of domestic AI technology.
The package includes £18m for a chip-design academy and £23m over three years for the AI Economics Institute, which will examine the technology’s impact on productivity, employment and living standards.
The government is also allocating £30m to regional mayors to support local AI initiatives.