{"id":3872,"date":"2025-09-04T14:50:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T14:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/head-of-uks-turing-ai-institute-resigns-after-funding-threat\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T14:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T14:50:11","slug":"head-of-uks-turing-ai-institute-resigns-after-funding-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/head-of-uks-turing-ai-institute-resigns-after-funding-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Head of UK&#8217;s Turing AI Institute resigns after funding threat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Head of UK&#8217;s Turing AI Institute resigns after funding threat<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dEGcKf\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new\" class=\"sc-c4820dd1-0 iIvcOX\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"sc-c4820dd1-1 HLbDd\"><time datetime=\"2025-09-04T14:44:29.198Z\" class=\"sc-c4820dd1-2 kqAgYH\">6 minutes ago<\/time><\/div>\n<p><span data-testid=\"byline-new-contributors\" class=\"sc-c4820dd1-11 cyMxon\" readability=\"2\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"sc-c4820dd1-7 fBuaoy\">Graham Fraser<\/span><span data-testid=\"undefined-role-location\" class=\"sc-c4820dd1-8 joJZhL\">Technology reporter<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 gyQxwn\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-d1200759-1 kycbVO\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mctrtr.png\" class=\"sc-d1200759-0 dkIvM hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c59e\/live\/cd2064b0-8995-11f0-898f-d5f571305c23.jpg.webp\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"PA Jean Innes, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot at a meeting in London \" class=\"sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj\"><span class=\"sc-d1200759-2 gwFzuU\">PA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dEGcKf\" readability=\"18.159509202454\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">The chief executive of the UK&#8217;s national institute for artificial intelligence (AI) has resigned following staff unrest and a warning the charity was at risk of collapse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Dr Jean Innes said she was stepping down from the Alan Turing Institute as it &#8220;completes the current transformation programme&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Her position has come under pressure after the government demanded the centre change its focus to defence and threatened to pull its funding if it did not &#8211; leading to staff discontent and a whistleblowing complaint submitted to the Charity Commission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Dr Innes, who was appointed chief executive in July 2023, said the time was right for &#8220;new leadership&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dEGcKf\" readability=\"32\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">The BBC has approached the government for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">The Turing Institute said its board was now looking to appoint a new CEO who will oversee &#8220;the next phase&#8221; to &#8220;step up its work on defence, national security and sovereign capabilities&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Its work had once focused on AI and data science research in environmental sustainability, health and national security, but moved on to other areas such as responsible AI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">The government, however, wanted the Turing Institute to make defence its main priority, marking a significant pivot for the organisation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">&#8220;It has been a great honour to lead the UK&#8217;s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, implementing a new strategy and overseeing significant organisational transformation,&#8221; Dr Innes said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">&#8220;With that work concluding, and a new chapter starting&#8230; now is the right time for new leadership and I am excited about what it will achieve.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 class=\"sc-f98b1ad2-0 eOFjmw\">What happened at the Alan Turing Institute?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dEGcKf\" readability=\"33.132805628848\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Founded in 2015 as the UK&#8217;s leading centre of AI research, the Turing Institute, which is headquartered at the British Library in London, has been rocked by internal discontent and criticism of its research activities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">A review last year by government funding body UK Research and Innovation found &#8220;a clear need for the governance and leadership structure of the Institute to evolve&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">At the end of 2024, 93 members of staff signed a letter expressing a lack of confidence in its leadership team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">In July, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle wrote to the Turing Institute to tell its bosses to focus on defence and security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">He said boosting the UK&#8217;s AI capabilities was &#8220;critical&#8221; to national security and should be at the core of the institute&#8217;s activities &#8211; and suggested it should overhaul its leadership team to reflect its &#8220;renewed purpose&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">He said further government investment would depend on the &#8220;delivery of the vision&#8221; he had outlined in the letter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">This followed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer&#8217;s commitment to increasing UK defence spending to 5% of national income by 2035, which would include investing more in military uses of AI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 hoQmHM\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-d1200759-1 kycbVO\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mctrtr.png\" class=\"sc-d1200759-0 dkIvM hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 640w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/b8ea\/live\/fb2be270-79c9-11f0-8827-ede848a7813c.png.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Getty Images Peter Kyle. He has short smart grey hair and is wearing a sharp blue suit with a white shirt and red tie. He appears to be leaving 10 Downing Street.\" class=\"sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj\"><span class=\"sc-d1200759-2 gwFzuU\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dEGcKf\" readability=\"12.367021276596\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">A month after Kyle&#8217;s letter was sent, staff at the Turing institute warned the charity was at risk of collapse, after the threat to withdraw its funding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Workers raised a series of &#8220;serious and escalating concerns&#8221; in a whistleblowing complaint submitted to the Charity Commission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS\">Bosses at the Turing Institute then acknowledged recent months had been &#8220;challenging&#8221; for staff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dFZIgd\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-d1200759-1 kycbVO\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mctrtr.png\" class=\"sc-d1200759-0 dkIvM hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 640w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/41d3\/live\/348b21e0-26a8-11f0-8f57-b7237f6a66e6.png.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A green promotional banner with black squares and rectangles forming pixels, moving in from the right. The text says: \u201cTech Decoded: The world\u2019s biggest tech news in your inbox every Monday.\u201d\" class=\"sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Published at Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:44:29 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Head of UK&#8217;s Turing AI Institute resigns after funding threat 6 minutes ago Graham FraserTechnology reporter PA The chief executive of the UK&#8217;s national institute for artificial intelligence (AI) has resigned following staff unrest and a warning the charity was at risk of collapse. Dr Jean Innes said she was stepping down from the Alan&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/head-of-uks-turing-ai-institute-resigns-after-funding-threat\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Head of UK&#8217;s Turing AI Institute resigns after funding threat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}