Scientists Say Brexit May End U.K.’s Lead in AI

A group of prominent academics and tech executives fear that the U.K.’s exit from the European Union could jeopardize the U.K.’s lead in the development of machine learning technologies, according to Bloomberg.

British researchers have played a critical role in advances in machine learning, a kind of artificial intelligence in which software learns from experience or data. But as demand for related expertise proliferates across industries, the country faces a “substantial skill shortage in this area,“ concluded a report published by The Royal Society, one of the world’s oldest and most well-known scientific organizations.

Although the report doesn’t mention Brexit specifically, it implies that the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union could exacerbate this skills gap. “As it considers its future approach to immigration policy, the U.K. must ensure that research and innovation systems continue to be able to access the skills they need,“ the report said.

The U.K. has hosted a batch of high-profile tech startups that have incorporated aspects of AI, and have gone on to be acquired by U.S. tech firms, including Twitter’s purchase of London-based artificial intelligence startup Magic Pony in June, language processing company SwiftKey’s sale to Microsoft in February 2016, and Alphabet’s £400 million acquisition of London AI startup DeepMind in 2014. SoftBank is close to an investment in Improbable Worlds, a virtual reality startup backed by U.S. venture capitalist Andreessen Horowitz.

Peter Donnelly, professor of genetics and statistical science at the University of Oxford, and chair of the report, said that U.K. startup companies involved in machine learning applications see continued access to expertise as “fundamental.“ The working group comprised fourteen researchers, a number of whom work for leading technology companies.

The working group also expressed concerns that improved economic productivity resulting from machine learning could lead to increased inequality. “Much of the benefit may go to a small number of individuals or companies, with others losing jobs or facing reduced living standards,“ the report said. “Society needs to give urgent consideration to the ways in which benefits from machine learning can be shared.“

The report recommended more government funding for both doctoral candidates and master’s level courses, and that machine learning is incorporated into the U.K.’s school curriculum, including an emphasis on the ethical and social implications of machine learning and big data. The group spent 18 months studying issues facing the field, including sampling public attitudes toward machine learning applications through surveys and small group discussions.