The future of the Edinburgh exascale supercomputer project has become uncertain following significant funding cuts announced by the UK government.

The new Labour government has decided to cancel £1.3 billion in funding that was previously promised by the Conservatives for technology and AI projects.

The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) confirmed that the promised funds from the previous government were not included in the current budget, citing billions in unfunded commitments.

The government has pointed to a £22 billion financial shortfall as the reason for these cuts, claiming they are necessary to restore economic stability.

DSIT emphasized the need for difficult spending decisions to support national growth and economic stability amid these financial challenges.

The tech sector is crucial to the UK economy, valued at $1.1 trillion (£863 billion) as of early 2024, highlighting the stakes involved in funding decisions.

TechUK has urged the government to quickly propose new funding solutions to prevent the UK from falling behind in critical technology sectors.

Investors are concerned that without public access to large computing infrastructures, innovation may shift to private companies, particularly those based in the US.

The University of Edinburgh has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the government on future technology advancements, despite the uncertainty surrounding the supercomputer project.

The exascale supercomputer was intended to drive research in various fields, including AI, drug discovery, and climate change, making its potential cancellation a significant loss.

Experts warn that without securing funding for these AI projects, the UK risks falling behind global competitors like the U.S., China, and the EU.