The UK and AI company Google DeepMind are partnering to give British scientists priority access to advanced AI tools.

As part of the move, Google DeepMind will open its first automated research lab in the UK next year, using technology and robotics to power new discoveries and run experiments.

Fully integrated with Google’s AI tool Gemini, the UK government said the lab will focus on the development of superconductor materials which can carry electricity with zero resistance.

The government said the partnership could lead to a number of scientific breakthroughs, including in clean energy, with Google DeepMind working on ways to generate energy by mimicking the sun through fusion energy which could be used to power homes.

Google DeepMind will also seek to develop a version of Gemini to help teachers teach, emphasising that this would be grounded in the national curriculum and tested for safe use.

The partnership will also provide access to tools like AlphaGenome, which uses AI to sequence strands of DNA and spot potential weaknesses which could lead to disease, and AI co-scientist, which supports researchers to generate new theories and research proposals which could help to deliver vital discoveries.

The partnership between the tech giant and the UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI) will also be expanded to ensure that AI is developed safely and responsibly.

The AISI will also ensure that AI technology can be used to defend against security risks.

“DeepMind serves as the perfect example of what UK-US tech collaboration can deliver - a firm with roots on both sides of the Atlantic backing British innovators to shape the curve of technological progress,” said Liz Kendall, technology secretary. “This agreement could help to unlock cleaner energy, smarter public services, and new opportunities which will benefit communities up and down the country.”

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