AI POLICY
Government tells national AI institute to change or lose funding
Staff at the UK’s national AI institute, the Alan Turing Institute (ATI), have raised concerns over how the organisation is run, filing a whistleblowing complaint with the Charity Commission.
ATI, a state-funded charity, is already under pressure from the government to rethink its priorities.
Last month, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle called for leadership changes, warning funding could be reviewed next year if reforms aren’t made.
Whistleblowers allege the board, led by former Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr, has failed to give clear direction or accountability, and ignored a letter of no confidence last year.
ATI says it hasn’t been contacted about any complaint and points to a previous investigation by UK Research and Innovation that no issues.
Here’s what you should know:
The complaint cites failings in governance, leadership oversight, and culture.
Government support is tied to reforms and a defence-focused strategy.
Several AI research projects are being cut or paused.
Around 50 staff, about 10% of the workforce, are at risk of redundancy as part of restructuring.
Multiple projects in online safety, housing inequality, health inequality, AI ethics, and bias in AI outcomes are closing or on hold.
ATI says it is entering “a new phase” to focus on national priorities and deliver real-world impact.
The Charity Commission won’t confirm whether it has received the complaint.
When your national AI institute gets told to “pivot or perish”.