Chair, University of Oxford alumni board | AI and deep tech | DLA Piper | Advising transformational AI ventures at Oxford | Helsing, McKinsey, Hakluyt
"The UK armed forces 'cannot defend the British homelands properly' and are unprepared for 'conflict of any scale', according to the senior defence official who was charged with gauging Britain’s military strength... 'The government is not taking the public into its confidence about the scale of the threat because it knows it’s not ready'." As the UK heads to the polls on Thursday, a sombre warning from senior official and Oxford academic, Robert Johnson. Though there's a consensus forming around the need for great spending to deter aggressive powers, exceeding the Nato minimum of 2% of GDP, the incoming government will need to work out how to spend that money far more effectively. If, as Rob rightly challenges, that means we might need to double the number complex platforms and enhance our capabilities within years, then there isn't a solution other than a step change in how we coordinate with close allies to deploy technology at scale. From software-first engineering to AI-enabled sensors, we'll need closer partnerships than ever between technology firms, established manufacturers, knowledgeable investors, and government as a strategic customer. With Rob completing his term as the first director of the Office of Net Assessment and Challenge, the University of Oxford has a vital role to play in this debate. With the promotion of good governance and democracy a core mission of the university, there is no more important ethical priority than the deterrence of aggression and the defence of all other rights we enjoy, including the right to vote. Oxford is among world leaders in technology research, from the founders of many of the leading AI ventures such as Google DeepMind to long-established partnerships with engineering leaders like Rolls-Royce. Many Oxford alumni have also chosen public service, and serve in government and armed forces across the democratic world. And Oxford can bring vital insights into the ethics and changing character of conflict, from the Institute for Ethics in AI to the roles of senior alumni in founding and leading the UK's world-first AI Safety Institute. As the visit of Emperor Naruhito last week demonstrated, Oxford has a role in bringing these voices on technology, public service, and ethics to a global audience. On behalf of Oxford alumni active in all of these domains, a huge thanks to Rob and his team for all of their work - now, and in initiatives yet to come. As my children consider how they'll vote for the first time at this election, I hope they'll listen to thoughtful voices like yours from Oxford and our other leading universities.
Bespoke Generative AI for Engineering & Manufacturing (PLM, MES, ERP) | Cloud Native | Air Gapped | System Integration | Concepts, Technologies, Execution
5moBecause ...right priorities are most important. Dr Lani Kass Ros Poplar Geoff Quartermaine Bastin