In 2019 [3], a partnership worth £3m over three years was established between Jiangsu Automation Research Institute (JARI) and Imperial College London’s Data Science Institute (DSI) to create a “Future Digital Ocean Innovation Centre.”
Description
Led by Prof. Yike Guo [2] [3] [4], the collaboration aimed to focus on ocean modeling, deep learning [1], blockchain [1], and machine learning for port logistics [1]. Concerns arose about potential military end-uses, leading to the termination of the partnership in 2021.
Conclusion
The partnership between JARI and Imperial College was criticized as inappropriate, leading to the return of all funding. Imperial College has since shut down several joint ventures with Chinese military-linked institutes and companies, aligning with national security responsibilities [4].
References
[1] https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/china-covert-military-drone-uk-uni/
[2] https://www.inkl.com/news/chinese-firm-sought-to-use-uk-university-links-to-access-ai-for-possible-military-use
[3] https://www.techtimes.com/articles/305728/20240616/chinas-military-ambitions-revealed-ai-partnership-uk-university-smart-bases.htm
[4] https://californiaminorityalliance.com/06/news/chinese-firm-sought-to-use-uk-university-links-to-access-ai-for-possible-military-use/
