CEO of UK's Turing AI Institute resigns after government defence funding ultimatum
Dr Jean Innes has resigned after the government demanded a shift to defence research and threatened to withdraw funding, sparking staff unrest and a whistleblowing complaint.
The chief executive of the UK's national artificial intelligence institute, the Alan Turing Institute, has resigned after staff unrest and a government threat to withdraw funding over defence priorities.
Dr Jean Innes, appointed in July 2023, said she was stepping down now that the institute's transformation programme is complete and it enters a new phase of defence and security research.
Background
Founded in 2015 at the British Library in London, the institute has led AI and data science research in areas such as environmental sustainability, health and national security. A 2024 review by UK Research and Innovation highlighted the need for stronger governance and leadership.
In July, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle wrote demanding the institute prioritise defence and national security, warning that future government investment depended on delivering this vision.
The move followed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to raise UK defence spending to 5% of national income by 2035, including increased use of military AI.
A letter from staff last year and a whistleblowing complaint to the Charity Commission cited serious concerns over the funding ultimatum and the risk of the institute's collapse.
Dr Innes’s departure underscores tension between academic research goals and government defence priorities, which has sparked staff discontent.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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