The UK government has announced a package exceeding £600 million to expand domestic artificial intelligence capabilities, protect against AI-enabled biological and cyber threats, and spread economic benefits across the country. The plans form part of Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey MP’s 24 October 2026 Budget agenda. The largest allocation is £165 million for a National AI Biosecurity Initiative, including £100 million for a new AI Biosecurity Lab to detect and monitor biological threats and £65 million for biosurveillance and medical countermeasures. OpenAI and Anthropic will provide up to £200 million in AI model credits, with Google DeepMind and Basecamp Research also involved. The package includes £120 million for the AI Security Institute, £60 million for a National Cyber Shield using agentic AI, and £70 million for a National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability Centre. Additional measures support the Sovereign AI Fund, AI research and procurement, advanced chip design, economic-impact research, local AI partnerships, a Manchester cyber and AI centre, and an AI challenge prize. The government says the programme is intended to strengthen national resilience, support homegrown companies and skills, improve public services and reduce reliance on overseas technology. It cited NHS and HMRC deployments as examples of existing AI use, while stakeholders welcomed the focus on safety, security, biosecurity and domestic industrial capacity. The package follows Nvidia’s $250 million commitment earlier in October 2026 to support AI safety research in the UK.