With the goal of ramping up initiatives such as earlier cancer detection and more advanced treatments for demential, the UK’s National Health Service has announced the creation of a new national artificial intelligence lab with and initial investment of £250 million.

In the announcement, NHS Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the AI lab will bring together the industry’s best academics, specialists and technology companies.

According to reports, Hancock also said technology could transform the patient experience provided by the NHS, making it a truly predictive, preventive and personalized health and care service.

“I am determined to bring the benefits of technology to patients and staff, so the impact of our NHS Long Term Plan and this immediate, multimillion-pound cash injection are felt by all,” he emphasized. “It’s part of our mission to make the NHS the best it can be.”

Hancock noted that  that AI is already being developed and implemented in some hospitals around the UK has already succeeded at such varied tasks as predicting cancer survival rates and cutting the number of missed patient appointments.

According to Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, “Carefully targeted AI is now ready for practical application in health services, and the investment announced today is another step in the right direction to help the NHS become a world leader in using these important technologies.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson added, “My task is to ensure the NHS has the funding it needs to make a real difference to the lives of staff and patients. Transforming care through artificial intelligence is a perfect illustration of that.”

Despite the increase in funding and the spread to date of AI, observers note that numerous challenges remain. 

For example, Dale Peters, research director at TechMarketView, recognized AI’s successes thus far, but he pointed out that “before the true potential of AI can be realized, industry, academia, government and wider society will need to consider carefully a wide range of factors, including, but not limited to: data access, cyber-security, trust and ethics, workforce implications, demand management, accuracy and efficacy.” 

The new lab will be positioned within NHSX, the recently launched organization tasked with overseeing the digitization of the nation’s healthcare system.