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UK — The Register

Britain bets big on AI to defend against the threats AI is helping create

Policy2 min read

The UK government plans to spend more than £600 million on AI, including AI agents that will hunt for security flaws in key public systems. The move comes days after a serious security scare that took dozens of government websites offline.

What happened

The UK Treasury announced a large AI spending package ahead of the Budget. Of the money, £130 million goes to AI-powered cyber defense. Part of this is a new National Cyber Shield that uses agentic AI, meaning AI that can take actions on its own, to find and fix weak spots before attackers do. The government is also planning a test area, called a regulatory sandbox, for these autonomous security tools.

Key numbers

  • £600 million-plus: the total AI spending package announced by the Treasury.
  • £130 million: the cyber defense funding.
  • £60 million: the National Cyber Shield, including a £25 million challenge fund for UK cybersecurity firms.
  • £70 million: the NERV Centre, which will use AI to find weak points across Britain's infrastructure.
  • £165 million: the National AI Biosecurity Initiative, including £100 million for a planned AI Biosecurity Lab.

Why the timing matters

Days before this announcement, a security problem called PHP2Shell was found in PHP, a widely used coding language for websites. Dozens of UK government services went offline. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre worked with OpenAI to share the details safely, so companies could prepare fixes before the problem became public. AI-assisted researchers found the flaws.

Why it matters

The government is betting that AI can protect against the same kind of threats that AI can help create. Experts say the UK needs stronger cyber defenses. Ciaran Martin, a former head of the NCSC, said: "We need to padlock our systems, and harness AI for defense." It is still unclear how much freedom the AI defenders will have to act without people checking their work, or when they will start running.

What to watch

  • How much independent action the AI defense agents are allowed to take.
  • When the AI defenders will be put to use.
  • How the new AI Biosecurity Lab is set up, since it will be independent and non-profit.
  • Whether the money reaches British AI and cybersecurity companies through the Sovereign AI Fund and challenge fund.

Glossary

NCSC
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, the government group that protects the country from online attacks.
PHP2Shell
A serious security flaw found in PHP, a common programming language for websites, which took dozens of UK government sites offline.
Sovereign AI Fund
A government fund used to invest in British companies that build AI and related technology.

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