AN SNP MP has challenged a UK Government minister on Labour’s U-turn on Edinburgh University's supercomputer technology – after they axed the Scottish institute's plans to have its own last year.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out his AI action plan on Monday as he said it could boost economic growth – and announced his Government’s pledge to increase the UK’s computer capacity 20-fold by 2030, including building a new supercomputer.
The announcement was branded a "betrayal" by the SNP, given that Labour had pulled £800 million in funding from an Edinburgh supercomputer project just months ago.
Although Labour have come on board with plans to build one, the location of a new supercomputer was not confirmed in the announcement on Monday.
SNP MP Chris Law challenged Technology Minister Peter Kyle, asking him if the new supercomputer will now be located in Edinburgh – which he refused to answer.
He said: "Over the summer, the UK Labour government cancelled $1.3 billion worth of investments in tech and AI projects, including £800m for the next generation exascale supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh.
"The UK Government described this project as making, and I quote, little strategic sense.
"Yet today has now pledged to turbocharge AI, including plans to build a brand new, wait for it, supercomputer.
"So can the secretary tell me, on the back of the fact there's new investment and the University of Edinburgh has been at the centre of research and development of AI for more than 60 years, whether the new supercomputer will now be located at Edinburgh?"
Kyle replied: "I just make the basic point again because I think he needs to hear it again.
"You can't cut something that doesn't exist. I did not cut something because it did not exist.
"What I have done is extended the existing supercomputer for another year so that people have the reassurance that the capabilities that are needed via Edinburgh University are there.
"In that time, I am making sure that I'm working on a strategy that will have resilience.
"Why will it have resilience? Because it will be fully costed, fully planned, and fully funded so that those people who who need to know the strategic opportunities of our country will have the certainty they need now and into the long term from spring when we have the strategy released."
