Key facts
- £700 million allocated for AI development and security.
- £60 million for Sovereign AI fund to invest in UK AI companies.
- £500 million designated for AI security initiatives.
- £120 million for AI Security Institute.
- £165 million for National AI Biosecurity Initiative.
- £40 million for National Agentic Security Unit.
UK Chancellor John Healey has announced over £700 million in new funding for artificial intelligence initiatives in the 2026 Autumn Budget. The investment aims to bolster British AI firms, enhance AI safety, and improve productivity within the civil service and the National Health Service.
The package includes a £60 million Sovereign AI fund to directly invest in promising UK AI companies, alongside a £60 million AI Pathfinder fund and £30 million for local AI partnerships. Healey also signaled investment in AI for the civil service and NHS, and allocated £20 million for AI chip development.
Significant funding is also earmarked for AI security, with £120 million for the AI Security Institute, £165 million for a new National AI Biosecurity Initiative, £154 million to strengthen cyber defenses, and £40 million to establish a National Agentic Security Unit to address rogue agentic incidents. A "British datacentre covenant" was also introduced.