Leading mathematicians have today welcomed the announcement by Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, at the Conservative Party Conference that he will create 2,000 artificial intelligence (AI) scholarships for disadvantaged young people and double the number of Turing AI World-Leading Research Fellows to make the UK a ‘science superpower’.
The Protect Pure Maths campaign, which was founded in collaboration with the London Mathematical Society, has called on the Chancellor to also commit dedicated funding to the mathematical sciences.
Professor Jon Keating, President of the London Mathematical Society and spokesperson for the Protect Pure Maths campaign said:
“We welcome the Government’s proposals to invest in artificial intelligence. However, it must recognise that mathematics is the fundamental building block for artificial intelligence. As such, we call on the Government to ensure that the mathematical sciences are front and centre of the new AI scholarships.
“As part of its investment in AI and its vision for science, the Government needs to maintain the UK’s place as a ‘Maths Superpower’. This must include providing dedicated and enhanced funding for the mathematical sciences. Without supporting mathematics explicitly, the UK will not fully unlock the power of AI and data-driven technologies.
“UK mathematics has a long and distinguished history, but investment is crucial if it is to have an equally successful future. Indeed, maths underpins today’s most exciting technological developments, including driverless cars, superfast broadband and quantum computing.”
