The project is led by Dr Kate Devlin from the Department of Digital Humanities and involves Dr Caitlin Bentley and Professor Sana Khareghani from the Department of Informatics and Professor Prokar Dasgupta from the Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology and the Department of Surgical & Interventional Engineering.

The funding package comes as part of a £31million award to a large consortium, led by the University of Southampton, to create an international research and innovation ecosystem for responsible AI that will be responsive to the needs of society.

The grant will fund research that helps us understand what responsible and trustworthy AI is, how to develop it, and how to build it into existing systems and the impacts it will have on society.

It aims to work with policy makers to provide evidence for how this can then be legislated for and regulated. Activities will include large scale research programmes, collaborations between academics and businesses and white papers to set out UK and global approaches.

Professor Prokar Dasgupta, Professor of Surgery, King's Health Partners and Healthcare Lead for the UKRI Responsible Artificial Intelligence UK (RAI UK), said: "I am delighted by the UKRI's decision to invest in responsible AI research and innovation, which will benefit all aspects of society.

"AI technology has huge potential to transform healthcare - providing life-changing medical treatment, improving patient outcomes through diagnostics and monitoring, and even supporting surgeons within the operating theatre. This investment is a hugely exciting prospect for the future of healthcare and the next generation of surgical trainees and students embarking on their careers."

Dr Caitlin Bentley, a Lecturer in AI Education from the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences, said: “For AI to benefit all of UK society, responsible development is crucial. Urgent implementation of AI education at all levels is needed for equitable benefits, and particularly so for the most marginalised. I am privileged and honoured to be leading the RAI UK Skills programme, and I look forward to sharing the Responsible AI approach that is core to our programmes in King’s Informatics with the UK and beyond.”

Professor Sana Khareghani: "The new Responsible AI (RAI) programme is a great opportunity to not only join up but properly and globally showcase the incredible research and advances being made in AI safety research and application from across the U.K."