UK Commits £130 Million to AI Cyber Shield and Infrastructure Vulnerability Detection

The UK government has announced £130 million for AI-powered cyber defences within a wider £600 million AI investment package. The funding includes £60 million for a National Cyber Shield using agentic AI and £70 million for a National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre to identify weaknesses across critical infrastructure and the wider economy. The initiatives aim to strengthen national resilience against AI-enabled attacks and bolster digital sovereignty.

The package also includes an additional £120 million for the AI Security Institute to advance AI security research and standards, alongside plans for an NCSC AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence to train experts for government. Ministers are exploring a regulatory sandbox to test autonomous security technologies across critical infrastructure, public services and businesses. Industry commentators welcomed the investment but flagged the need for clear governance, human oversight and effective protection for smaller businesses, as well as measures to address AI-enabled impersonation.