Every industry must deploy AI safely, securely and in an operationally trustworthy manner. But for defence companies, this approach is critical. The repercussions of failure could be catastrophic for military personnel and national security.

Yet while AI implementation presents major challenges, responsible and considered use of the technology has the power to unlock huge opportunities.

“AI is used widely across defence platforms and it’s going to be used more,” says Elizabeth Williams, Partner and Head of Aviation, Aerospace and Defence sector, Gowling WLG. “If applied effectively, this technology can help us and our allies retain and optimise our military capability and competitive edge more readily and at pace.”

No ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach

The Government takes a decentralised approach to AI, allowing each sector to apply its own guidelines. However, a major challenge for defence is its size, complexity and disparate nature. There can never be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer to AI deployment.

For instance, at the military end of the spectrum, AI is a central component of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a co-project between the UK, Italy and Japan to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft. Meanwhile, at the civil end, AI is being used to execute a wide variety of tasks, from product design to the streamlining of logistics.

Indeed, a recent report from IBM, called ‘Defense manufacturing in the AI era’, predicts that by 2028, approximately 80% of manufacturing and supply chain operations will deploy agentic or autonomous systems for forecasting, inventory optimisation, scheduling, quality control and predictive maintenance.

“When considering legal and regulatory assurance, it is important to consider each use case separately on its merits,” agrees Michael Carter, Partner and Co-head of Gowling WLG’s Global Tech Sector. “The Government’s AI Practitioner’s Handbook (AIPH) states that ‘AI assurance activities can vary depending on the type of AI technology and how you plan to use it.’ So, it’s important to look at each AI tool individually and understand where it sits within the defence ecosystem.”

Supporting AI with improved procurement and contracting

While the defence sector has made great strides in facilitating AI adoption, improvements could be made in procurement and contracting.

“This is technology that’s changing quickly,” says Elizabeth. “So, contracts need to be flexible to enable continuous improvement, and in some cases digital transformation, implementation and change to allow companies to operate and update at pace.”

She also notes that important AI innovations aren’t only created by government or large defence contractors. These are increasingly coming from smaller, evolving technology companies. To help SMEs develop their technologies and capabilities and participate in these defence supply chains, processes must support easier collaboration and ways of working, to facilitate supply chain integration.

In 2021, the MOD set up an AI Ethics Advisory Panel to address these issues.

“The Panel has been looking at this for a long time, so they’re probably further ahead on the curve than many,” says Michael. “So, with Government guidelines and principles, and the AI Practitioner’s Handbook, the sector is doing a lot to reduce friction for suppliers while maintaining high standards.”

The sector must still tackle questions regarding sovereignty, trust and values, and establish a position on AI providers active in other countries.

“It’s balancing the opportunity and the increased capability offered by AI with factors such as security and use and protection of sovereign data,” says Elizabeth. “There’s so much to unpack.”

But ultimately, the most important question for Elizabeth and Michael is: “How can AI be deployed sensibly, carefully and securely with the right guardrails in place?”

A key safeguard is always having “meaningful human control” in the loop.

Read more at

This article contains paid for content provided by Gowling WLG.

Survival within the frontlines of Ukraine, a lethal and inhospitable landscape estimated to be between 30 kilometres and 60 kilometres deep, has been made difficult, if not impossible.

Drone technology has turned the area into a zone of absolute denial, where the slightest movement is immediately detected by drones and met by precision drone strikes or artillery fire.

Off-the-shelf drone technology has transformed ‘ability to deny’

“The Ukrainians have proved that the concept of ‘deep zone denial’ is highly effective,” explains Alexandra Bailey, Head of Defence, Fujitsu UK. “What’s more, the price of that denial is extremely cheap, because it can be achieved with easily available, consumer-grade, off-the-shelf drone technology.”

Yet this advantage can be pressed further. Currently, the drones monitoring this zone are mostly First Person View (FPV), piloted by a single operator. She believes that, soon, these separate drones will start interacting with each other, sharing data and intelligence in real time.

However, in this interconnected future, centralised digital infrastructure can be a liability at the tactical edge.

“If decision-making is made via a single node or communication is via a single bearer, it creates an exceptional point of fragility,” says Bailey. “If it’s disrupted, it would prove catastrophic for the whole system because everything would fail.”

Distributed edge computing enables tempo — not just resilience

Edge computing reduces or eliminates this risk with a distributed architecture that processes data closer to its source. Apart from being more resilient, it offers greater speed, reduces latency and enables faster decision-making.

For innovation to thrive, the relationship between the Ministry of Defence and its supply base needs to evolve. The agility and innovation by SMEs remain a vital battlefield advantage. However, realising the full benefits of autonomy will also require a balance of the dynamic, diverse supply base on one end and a common architecture on the other.

“We must invest in collaboration and innovation with digital partners, elevating relationships from tactical, contractual arrangements to true strategic partnerships focused on innovation and pace,” concludes Bailey.

Read more at

This article contains paid for content provided by Fujitsu.

Since 2022, the relationship between the US defence industry and its European allies has evolved significantly. Europe’s threat perception has radically changed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, accelerating a mindset shift towards deterrence, resilience, readiness and industrial capacity.

NATO allies are increasing defence spending, replenishing stockpiles and placing greater emphasis on ensuring that critical capabilities can be produced, sustained and upgraded at scale.

“European governments increasingly expect industrial participation, sovereign capability, local manufacturing, sustainment capacity and technology collaboration as integral elements of any long-term defence relationship,” explains Dr. Dennis Göge, Chief Executive and Vice President, Europe, at Lockheed Martin.

“Lockheed Martin recognises this and was one of the first companies to meet today’s expectation that defence suppliers should be present in the markets they sell to — whether partnering with domestic defence companies as we do in countries such as Germany, Italy, Norway or Finland, or running our own manufacturing facilities as we do in the UK and Poland, investing in facilities and employing European workforces.”

Expanding partnerships with European industry

Dr. Göge notes that the company will continue to invest in genuine strategic partnerships with European industry because it believes these capabilities are essential to NATO’s long-term readiness and resilience.

He points out that success will increasingly depend on factors such as co-development, technology collaboration and Alliance-wide interoperability.

“Building together for today and the future will enable European and NATO allies to operate together effectively and with common purpose,” says Dr. Göge.

“This is why the F-35 program is so successful. This is currently the most advanced and connected fighter aircraft in the world, forming the cornerstone of air superiority and interoperability within NATO.

“It not only provides a highly capable platform to multiple allies, but it also involves many of those nations’ industries in the manufacture of this platform, often at the component and subsystem level across the supply chain where critical technologies, engineering expertise and innovation are developed.

“That is where industrial capacity is built, and where long-term capability and resilience are sustained in individual nations and across alliances.”

How to close the gap between innovation and operational capability

Advanced technology is central to defence innovation. But success also requires aligned funding, agile procurement and industrial capacity in order to scale solutions rapidly.

“Innovation at speed” is now a phrase that appears in almost every defence strategy document across NATO. From an industry perspective, this isn’t simply about moving faster through existing processes, however. It requires building the conditions that allow for rapid adaptation before a formal requirement is issued.

One way that Lockheed Martin ensures that its high-in-demand capabilities can be manufactured faster and in more quantity is through innovative co-production agreements with its industrial partners.

For instance, it has an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with integrated technology group Rheinmetall to establish a Centre of Excellence for European Security in Germany for the manufacture of missiles.

“Cooperations will be key to increasing the pace of manufacture to ensure strong inventories and security of supply across Europe,” explains Göge.

“A great example is the F-35 aircraft. Twenty-five per cent by value of every F-35 built is produced in Europe. Among others, we are partnering with Rheinmetall in Germany, Patria in Finland and BAE Systems in the UK to produce major aspects of every F-35 sold around the world, and with Leonardo we are operating a F-35 final assembly and checkout facility (FACO) in Cameri, Italy.”

Strengthening the defence industrial base — and allied readiness

The most resilient defence supply chain model is a trusted, diversified and interoperable industrial network that combines global scale with sovereign national capability

In today’s defence sector, supply chain security is a core element of national security.

For Göge, the best way to optimise supply chain resilience is with a trusted, diversified and interoperable industrial network — one that combines global scale with sovereign national capability.

“A globally connected supply chain provides scale, innovation and surge capacity, while local industrial participation strengthens readiness, supports national economies and gives governments confidence that critical capabilities can be sustained when they are needed most,” he says.

Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Jim Taiclet has repeatedly argued that NATO’s advantage comes from allies being able to “work as one force,” enabled by common standards, shared industrial capacity across North America and Europe — and interoperable systems.

Certainly, interoperability of military platforms is an important issue currently, as these facilitate the sharing of information and data among allies.

One example is the company’s F-35 aircraft, which is able to swiftly sift and share data from systems such as Military Satellite Communications to forces on land and sea operating compatible interoperable platforms such as Aegis-enabled frigates or effectors such as THAAD and PAC-3 missile systems.

Autonomy and interdependence are not mutually exclusive

However, recently, with political momentum behind European strategic autonomy growing, governments have been building more domestic supply chains.

Yet autonomy doesn’t mean jettisoning transatlantic interdependence, says Dr. Göge. On the contrary: the Alliance is enhanced when greater European investment in defence production, sustainment and innovation is connected to a broader transatlantic ecosystem.

“The real challenge is not autonomy versus interdependence but ensuring that Europe’s growing defence-industrial capacity reinforces allied readiness,” he notes.

“If European investment produces more manufacturing capacity, stronger supply chains, faster sustainment and greater operational resilience while maintaining common standards and interoperability, it strengthens both European sovereignty and NATO’s collective deterrence.

“The tension only emerges if industrial policies create fragmentation, duplication or barriers that reduce the ability of allied forces and industries to operate together.”

Shortening the path from concept to deployment

Digital engineering is another key element of rapid adaptation.

Indeed, the company has consistently demonstrated that digital engineering enables design, manufacturing and sustainment teams to work from a common data environment, reducing rework, accelerating testing and shortening the path from concept to deployment.

Its strategic investment arm, Lockheed Martin Ventures, has partnered with more than 120 companies globally to develop emerging technologies that will shape the next generation of defence and aerospace capabilities.

To ensure commercially derived capabilities can be rapidly inserted into defence programmes, the company is also leading in the development and adoption of cloud computing, 5G, autonomy, data analytics and AI.

In fact, the company has been working with AI for decades to ensure its systems are smarter, more secure and more interconnected.

“Ultimately, innovation at speed is less about accelerating individual programmes and more about creating a defence ecosystem that can continuously evolve,” says Dr. Göge.

“The organisations that succeed will be those that invest early, experiment continuously and arrive at the customer’s problem with solutions already in development rather than waiting for a requirement document to appear.”

This article contains paid for content provided by Lockheed Martin.

As defence rapidly adopts AI, autonomy and digital technologies, success increasingly depends on how complex systems work together, says Lloyd Pryce, Managing Director, Optima Systems Consultancy.

How is the nature of UK defence capability changing, and what does that mean for how programmes are delivered?

UK defence capability is shifting from standalone platforms to integrated, multi-domain operations across land, sea, air, space and cyber. Simultaneously, threats are evolving faster due to global instability and rapid advances in AI, cyber and autonomous platforms.

Defence programmes must adapt at pace, with shorter development cycles and greater flexibility to integrate emerging technologies. A NATO-first approach also means UK capability must work seamlessly with allied systems and operations.

For programme delivery, this creates greater complexity, requiring a systems-led approach focused on interoperability, integration and ensuring multiple technologies and stakeholders operate coherently under pressure.

AI, autonomy and digital engineering are major focus areas. Is technology the main challenge — or something else?

AI can provide enormous advantages, but only if it’s trusted, properly integrated and aligned with operational decision-making. The same applies to autonomy, digital engineering and data-driven capability.

Technology alone isn’t a transformation. Achieving impact requires systems thinking, the discipline of understanding how all the parts work together, balancing performance, cost and time, and managing integration across platforms and programmes. The difficulty is understanding how changes in one area affect the wider system.

The SDR calls for faster procurement and more adaptable capability. How do you deliver that without sacrificing rigour?

Fundamentally, it’s a systems and engineering challenge. Being asked to respond faster in a more uncertain environment requires balancing performance, cost and time through structured decision-making and a clear understanding of trade-offs.

Increasing pace doesn’t mean reducing discipline; it means improving how decisions are made, particularly around integration, dependencies and operational impact. Defence organisations must understand the risks of both action and inaction, including what’s not done and its downstream implications.

Early-stage systems engineering can help sharpen thinking, bringing focused insight, faster problem framing and better alignment across stakeholders in complex, multi-system programmes.

What role does Optima play in this landscape, and what does success look like for UK defence in five years?

Independent specialist SMEs provide systems-focused expertise that helps defence organisations navigate complexity without bias towards specific platforms or solutions, combining cross-programme experience, innovative thinking and lessons learned from other sectors to strengthen decision-making around integration, trade-offs and operational impact.

The future of defence isn’t simply about adopting more technology; it’s about creating systems that are resilient, adaptable and able to operate together in the real world and under pressure.

With the SDR setting out a clear, urgent ambition for integration across domains, the question is no longer whether systems thinking matters; it’s whether organisations have the expertise and discipline to apply it at the pace and scale required. Systems thinking will ultimately determine whether the SDR’s ambitions are realised.

Optima transforms complexity into capability: .

This article contains paid for content provided by Optima Systems Consultancy.

When Ancient Wisdom Meets Quantum Reality

Physicists and Buddhist contemplatives often seek to solve the same puzzles, from different angles: What is consciousness? How is reality shaped by observation? What does it mean for something to “exist”? For centuries, Buddhist thinkers have described awareness and mind with subtle precision. In parallel, physics and neuroscience are now probing phenomena that seem to echo those descriptions.

is a series of courses that stages direct conversations between scientists and contemplatives. The sessions follow questions as they unfold, opening space for critical thinking and unexpected insights and form the foundations for educational courses that explore the biggest questions of our time at the vangard of scientific thought and discovery.

Course 1: Quantum Physics and Buddhist Thought

investigates parallels between modern physics and Buddhist philosophy. Quantum mechanics reveals a world where particles can exist in superpositions, where outcomes depend on measurement, and where relationships matter more than fixed essences. In Buddhist philosophy, reality is understood as impermanent, interdependent, and without inherent self-nature.

The course features Carlo Rovelli, architect of relational quantum mechanics; Geshe Tenzin Namdak, the first Westerner to complete the rigorous Geshe training at Sera Jey Monastic University; and philosopher of science Michel Bitbol. John Dunne from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds and meditation teacher Scott Snibbe add further perspectives.

Together they explore how mathematics, experiment, and meditative practice each uncover aspects of reality that challenge everyday assumptions, and you are invited to expand your horizons with the self-paced masterclass in contemplative and scientific exploration, joining these frontier thinkers.

Exploring Consciousness

The course tackles one of the most perplexing problems in science: how subjective experience relates to neural activity. Professor Anil Seth, author of the bestselling “Being You: A New Science of Consciousness” and whose TED talk has over 12 million views, leads discussions alongside Yangten Rinpoche, a monastic and scholar personally appointed by the Dalai Lama.

Dr. Elena Antonova from King’s College London, a leading researcher on meditation’s effects on the brain, explores these questions with Professor John Vervaeke from University of Toronto, director of the Consciousness and Wisdom Studies Laboratory, and Professor Marjorie Woollacott, neuroscience researcher and consciousness studies pioneer.

While neuroscience maps consciousness’s neural correlates, contemplative traditions offer detailed phenomenological maps developed through first-person investigation. The course explores how these approaches complement each other and offers a true exploration of the self.

Dialogue as Method

The defining feature of Science and Wisdom Live is its emphasis on live dialogue. Courses are built around moderated conversations rather than set-piece lectures. Participants exchange ideas, challenge one another, and reveal the process of reasoning in real time. For learners, the value lies as much in the unfolding exchange as in any conclusion.

Step Into the Debate on Mind and Reality

Questions about consciousness and reality are no longer confined to seminar rooms or the depths of monastic texts.

They shape debates on mental health, artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human. Ideas from Buddhist philosophy — such as interdependence and impermanence — also inform how societies might approach ecology, ethics, and collective well-being.

The offers one entry point, examining how two traditions describe a world that is fluid, relational, and less solid than it first appears. Alongside it, the shows how first-person methods of meditation can sit beside brain science to enrich our understanding of the mind.

Science and Wisdom Live treats both perspectives with seriousness, combining experimental rigour with contemplative insight. For the curious who follow science at the frontier, these courses open inquiry in a wider frame — one that stretches from particles to perception, and from mathematics to meditation.

Find out more at .

Simply put, fungi form the bedrock of our ecosystems, and, without them, life as we know it would collapse.

Yet, despite an extraordinary recent upsurge in public enthusiasm for this most fascinating of life forms, researchers still understand relatively little about fungi. While around 160,000 species of fungi have been described to date, fungi experts at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, predict there are around 2.5 million species in total.

And that’s why, at Kew, we’re powering a revolution in fungal understanding. With support from the UK government (Defra) and Calleva Foundation, we’ve embarked on a major project with our partners at the Natural History Museum (NHM) and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).

We’re delving deep into the DNA of the fungi species stored in the Kew Fungarium – one of the largest and most complete fungal collections in the world – as well as exploring the treasures held in our partners’ collections. Using groundbreaking technology, our experts are sequencing the DNA of the most precious of our globally important specimens, allowing us to reveal their vast diversity, and their potential to help solve the planet’s biggest challenges, from food insecurity to plastic pollution.

Make your legacy a lasting one

Kew might be best known for our beloved gardens and iconic Victorian glasshouses. But we are also one of the planet’s leading plant and fungal research institutes, home to nearly 600 science staff, working to better understand plants and fungi.

Kew’s world-renowned scientists work with partners in over 100 countries on dozens of inspiring projects, from collaborations that utilise our unparalleled collections, like this one, to local conservation schemes that support communities to create more sustainable livelihoods.

Every day, we’re harnessing our collective knowledge and unlocking Kew’s incredible historic and living collections to break new ground in botanical and mycological understanding, making way for untold real-world solutions to humanity’s most pressing problems.

, you will be part of a worldwide drive to unlock the power of plants and fungi and find lasting, nature-based solutions to everything from devastating diseases to the impacts of climate change.

Here, we share just a few, fungi-centred research projects, which are typical of the work your legacy could support.

��

Combatting plastic pollution

When it comes to reducing plastic pollution, fungi may well be a major part of the answer. Kew’s Dr Irina Druzhinina has been studying hundreds of fungal species that make their home on the surface of plants like Welwitschia, native to the Namibian desert. The thick, waxy leaf cuticles of these plants are made of polymers that are remarkably similar to plastic.

To avoid being swept away from the leaf surfaces where they live, fungi secrete enzymes that digest waxy leaf polymers, allowing for a better grip. If they can easily digest plant polymers, it stands to reason they may be able to digest plastic too. And Irina and her team have already identified more than 180 species whose enzymes could digest basic plastics in a lab setting.

Identifying the genes associated with this ability, by making use of the huge new fungal DNA dataset that Kew’s experts are currently generating, could accelerate the finding of other fungi with plastic-eating potential, meaning that a fungus-based solution to the enormous issue of plastic pollution could be not so very far away.

��

Medical innovations saving countless lives

Over the last century, fungi have been the source of medical innovations that have saved countless lives.

Soil microfungi like Aspergillus terreus have given us statin drugs to tackle high cholesterol, while Tolypocladium inflatum has given us cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant that has turned an organ transplant from a probable death sentence into a life-extending operation.

A recent study led by Kew’s Dr Tom Prescott has shown that we could discover a huge number of new chemicals with medical potential by searching inside the genetic code of fungal DNA. With thousands of fungal genomes now being newly sequenced at Kew, there is enormous potential for significant new medicinal discoveries.

��

Fungi and food security

While fungi provide huge benefits to humanity, some also pose a challenge. Plant diseases caused by fungi, for example, destroy up to 30% of global crop products each year.

Understanding fungi better may well be the key to solving this challenge, too.

At Kew, Dr Rowena Hill has sequenced the whole genome of several fungal endophytes (fungi that live inside plants without causing any symptoms), delving deeply into the interactions between fungi and plants by uncovering their genetic basis.

Identifying the genes that are associated with endophytes’ harmful or beneficial behaviour (and what factors cause a species to exhibit either harmful or beneficial behaviour) helps us to predict which fungi are likely to be heroes or villains in tomorrow’s world. Sequencing the DNA of Kew’s historical fungi is a major resource in this quest.

As climate change intensifies, we urgently need solutions to ensure food security.

Using fungal science, Kew is helping to prepare for future crop epidemics, and to save lives around the world.

Support Kew today

By leaving a gift in your Will to Kew, you can be sure your legacy will have a profound impact. Contact us today and discover how you could help power groundbreaking science that will protect the planet with sustainable, nature-based solutions for generations to come.

��

Get in touch

legacies@kew.org

+44 020 8332 3249

��

Free Will writing service

Kew offer a free Will-writing service, provided through our partner MyIntent. This is a completely free offer, and you are under no obligation to leave a gift to Kew in the Will you create.

��

Alzheimer’s Society is investing £3 million to establish the first UK-wide team of Dementia Research Nurses

Working in the AI Team at GCHQ, I’ve seen firsthand how exciting and meaningful my work, building the talent and skills within the department, can be. What motivates me is knowing that we’re helping to protect the UK in ways that are often invisible to the public, but absolutely vital.

Empowering talent through AI

My role is about more than just technology; AI is as much a people change as a technological one — it’s about empowering people, nurturing talent. This means we’re making learning clear and understandable by laying out the different parts and different depths of knowledge that different roles need.

Sometimes, it’s about coming up with��an innovative way to engage, excite and on occasion, entertain. I can assure you that GCHQ staff are human too, so sometimes it’s the funny and emotional things that get people on board. We must think about their almost individual journey in AI, supporting those at the very cutting edge to continue to innovate and stay ahead, whilst at the same time building trust and confidence in others.

Our people care deeply about doing the right things for the right reasons – they care about knowing that what we do is responsibly done and ethically rigorous. The long-term implications for AI are still relatively unknown.

People driving defence innovation

The really inspiring��part? Watching colleagues develop AI systems that adapt rapidly to new threats, or support decision-making at the speed of modern conflict. It’s a constant adventure, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, all with a shared goal of keeping our nation safe.

What makes GCHQ special is the people. Our team is incredibly varied — in backgrounds, experiences and ideas — but united by a strong sense of purpose. Seeing someone develop their skills, or bring a fresh perspective to a tough problem, reminds me why I’m passionate about this work.

If you’re curious about the future of defence and about using AI for good, I’d say there’s never been a more exciting time to get involved. Together, we’re shaping a safer, smarter UK, and I believe there’s room for anyone with curiosity and a desire to make a difference.

��

AN INDEPENDENT ARTICLE FROM MEDIAPLANET WHO TAKE SOLE RESPONSIBILTY FOR ITS CONTENT

As the UK Government noted in its Strategic Defence Review: ‘Artificial intelligence (AI) … will enable defence to take leaps forward both in how it fights and the productivity with which it delivers.’

Autonomy redefines military readiness

This AI-driven defence landscape is exciting, observes Nick Sinnott, Head of Technology Strategy and Innovation at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, a company delivering advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions.

“To accelerate the development of innovative technologies, we collaborate with different organisations, including deep-tech start-up Oxford Dynamics,” he says. “Predictive maintenance is one area we’re working on together. The ambition is to give customers a decisive advantage by knowing exactly when equipment is going to break down or need replacing. From a logistics standpoint, that makes good sense.”

Sinnott believes the Strategic Defence Review, which prioritises ‘a shift towards greater use of autonomy and AI within the UK’s conventional forces,’ will change the sector’s AI approach. “It’s a technology roadmap of what the Government wants to achieve,” he says.

Develop a defined AI strategy and get leadership buy-in

However, he strikes a note of caution regarding using AI for decision-making. “If it’s a straightforward, low-risk decision, we’re happy to trust machines, aren’t we?” he asks. “But in critical spaces, there are decisions we don’t want a machine to make.” In defence, it’s about applying AI to connect key information – enabling human decision-makers rather than replacing them.

To maximise AI across multiple domains and use cases, organisations must first develop a defined strategy with leadership buy-in. “Without strategic intent, businesses can’t operationalise,” says Sinnott. “They also won’t be able to build foundations across people (with the proper training), process, technology and data — aspects that need to be right from the outset.” Moreover, it’s crucial to properly manage risk.

Partnership ensures AI safety

Finally, collaboration is essential, which is why it’s a core part of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence’s approach. “We know we must bolster safety assurance around AI,” says Sinnott. “We can’t do this alone, so we work closely with SMEs, large organisations and academia to realise safe, responsible, reliable outcomes from AI systems and deliver the capabilities our customers want.”

��

AN INDEPENDENT ARTICLE FROM MEDIAPLANET WHO TAKE SOLE RESPONSIBILTY FOR ITS CONTENT

Right now, the way people are diagnosed with dementia in the UK is not good enough. Current figures estimate that more than a third of people over 65 who are living with dementia in England are undiagnosed. Waiting times for diagnosis are also on the rise, with people waiting an average of 22 weeks from referral to diagnosis.

There are now treatments on the horizon that slow the progression of Alzheimer’s that are most effective earlier in the disease – so getting an early and accurate diagnosis is more important than ever.

In April 2023, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, jointly launched the game-changing Blood Biomarker Challenge, which is gathering the information needed to introduce a blood test for dementia into UK healthcare systems.

A blood biomarker is an indicator that can be measured in the blood, that can show if a person has a disease or has early warning signs of a disease and may be at risk of developing it.

In Alzheimer’s disease, there is an abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain, which are thought to be toxic to brain cells and lead to the symptoms that affect people with dementia. These proteins include amyloid and tau.

When proteins build up in the brain, the body tries to clear them away. As a result, these proteins can cross into a spinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Researchers have found these proteins can also leak through into the blood and be detected using a blood test.

In the future, we believe doctors will be able to use blood tests to indicate whether an individual has a buildup of these proteins in their brain. This, alongside other tests and clinical observations, will support doctors to make an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Blood-based biomarkers could be the cost-effective, accurate and non-invasive diagnostic tool that is needed to revolutionise dementia diagnosis in the NHS.

Find out more about the Blood Biomarker Challenge at