A number of AI projects have been awarded £12 million from a team in Southampton.

Funding has been awarded by Responsible AI UK (RAi UK), and they are part of a broader £31 million programme that will span over four years.

Three distinct initiatives will address the burgeoning concerns associated with generative and other types of AI currently being developed and implemented across society.

They cover various sectors including health and social care, law enforcement, and financial services.

Professor of artificial intelligence Gopal Ramchurn, from the University of Southampton and CEO of RAi UK said: "These projects are the keystones of the Responsible AI UK programme and have been chosen because they address the most pressing challenges that society faces with the rapid advances in AI.

"The projects will deliver interdisciplinary research that looks to address the complex socio-technical challenges that already exist or are emerging with the use of generative AI and other forms of AI deployed in the real-world."

According to him, the responsibility is not limited to governments and industry. It is crucial for AI experts to engage with researchers and policymakers to anticipate and respond effectively to issues likely to be caused by the advancement of AI.

Since its inception last year, RAi UK has disbursed £13 million of research funding.

They have supported the work of major initaticves like the AI safety institute, the Alan Turing Institute, and BRAID UK.

RAi UK is supported by UKRI, the principal public funder of research and innovation.

This is part of the UK government's strategy to become a hotbed for future AI development.

A further two projects funded by UKRI are directing their efforts towards the application of responsible AI to bolster productivity and how public voices can be amplified in the design and deployment of these technologies.

Dr Kedar Pandya, from UKRI and EPSRC said: "This £4m of funding through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund will support projects that are considering the responsible use of AI within specific contexts.

"These projects showcase strong features of the responsible AI ecosystem we have within the UK and will build partnerships across a diverse set of organisations working on shared challenges."