The UK government has pledged £23m to create more AI and data conversion courses, with the aim of helping young people from underrepresented groups including women, black people and people with disabilities join the AI industry.
Up to 2,000 scholarships for masters AI conversion courses, which enable graduates to do further study courses in the field even if their undergraduate course is not directly related, will be established. The government said these courses will create a new generation of experts in data science and AI.
The UK is ranked third in the world for private venture capital investment into AI companies, in 2019 investment reached almost £2.5bn, and is home to a third of Europe’s total AI companies.
These new scholarships are designed to ensure more people can build successful careers in AI, create and develop new and bigger businesses, and will improve the diversity of the sector.
Science minister, George Freeman, said: “The UK is one of the world’s most advanced AI economies, with AI already playing a key role in everything from climate science and medical diagnostics to factory robotics and smart cities.
“It is therefore essential that we continue to equip our workforce with the skills they need in this important technology, while also making the industry accessible to talented people from all backgrounds.
“That’s why today’s significant funding award is so important, which will see underrepresented groups trained up to build successful careers in AI, supporting the growth and diversity of AI in the UK.”
The government is encouraging companies to play a part in creating a future pipeline of AI talent by match-funding the AI scholarships for the conversion courses. Industry support would get more people into the AI and data science job market quicker and strengthen businesses, the government added.
An independent organisation, to be announced later this year, will be responsible for encouraging industry participation and investment into the AI Scholarships scheme.
