Led by Associate Professor Jakob Foerster, the British Open-ended Learning and Discovery Lab (BOLD) will develop open, human-centred, resource-efficient AI systems that can operate safely and effectively in the real world. This will ultimately help turn research into tools that can be used in workplaces, infrastructure and public services - supporting wider adoption across the economy.
Crucially, the lab will move beyond the standard recipe that has driven recent progress in AI: training ever-larger neural networks on increasingly vast datasets. Instead, BOLD aims to develop new, scalable AI technologies that will unlock socially vital applications, from education and transport, to healthcare and scientific discovery.
The award recognises the University of Oxford's world-leading, interdisciplinary strengths in AI research, spanning fundamental machine learning, AI safety, ethics and robotics. As host institution, Oxford will act as an integrator between academia, industry and the wider UK AI landscape. The lab will bring together researchers from Oxford, UCL and Imperial College London, alongside industry and technology partners.
“AI has huge potential to grow our economy and improve public services – but right now it’s often too expensive, complex or out of reach for many organisations. "These new labs are about changing that – making AI cheaper, more practical and easier to adopt so more businesses and public services across the UK can benefit.”
