MoD looks to hire AI chief on £185,000 – just don’t use it in your application
The Ministry of Defence is on the search for a new AI chief to put the UK on a tech war footing.
The MoD said its new chief AI officer would be in charge of leading an in-house technology centre and bringing AI into operation across the military for “maximum impact”.
The London-based job will pay up to £185,000, with candidates expected to be a “highly respected thought leader and innovator” in AI. The successful candidate will “drive the continued development of data and information capabilities to underpin optimised military outcomes.”
They are advised against using AI in their application due to the risk of plagiarism. The advert warns: “Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience.”
A recruitment campaign for a new AI chief suggests the technology could be a key part of the upcoming defence investment plan (DIP), the blueprint for how the government will finance major military projects in an effort to strengthen the armed forces.
The strategy paper is expected to outline funding for the government’s acceptance of recommendations in the strategic defence review (SDR), published last year.
John Healey, the defence secretary, set a deadline for the DIP to be published by autumn 2025, but it is now only expected for the middle of this year.
AI crucial to defence upgrade
One recommendation in the SDR set out an ambitious proposal for a “Digital Targeting Web” to be created by the end of 2027, which would attempt to use AI to link sensors on satellites and ships to missiles and cyber attacks.
Researchers at the Royal United Services Institute, the main security think tank, said the proposal lacked clear outcome objectives and could suffer from some organisational flaws.
It also said industry officials, who will be tasked with designing the system, would only gain confidence once the government had provided a clear financial commitment.
Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are under intense pressure to find funds to increase funding for defence despite constraints on public finances.
Military chiefs in the MoD reportedly warned the Prime Minister that it would need £28bn in the next four years to be able to fully fund the proposed military upgrade. The government has committed to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence from next year.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said in its March forecast that being able to reach a Nato 2035 target to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence on a “linear path” would require £6bn more in funding in the final year of parliament.
In today’s money, ratcheting up defence spending to the Nato 2035 target would require the Treasury to find £40bn either through higher tax receipts, savings across other departments or extra borrowing.