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UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

thetimes.co.uk

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Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#51

Post by jack_riminton »

dragonwriter wrote: post #42
jack_riminton wrote: post #30

If its our answer to DARPA then good. I only hope the money will be disbursed in ways similar to the DARPA challenges and not in the usual chronyist way of the UK There's a shocking number of people high up in UK tech influence circles who got there solely by networking, holding events and being on the peripheries of successful startups

Yes, it's a good thing the US in general, it's government more specifically, and it's defense establishment particularly are completely free of cronyism, and there aren't huge numbers of people influential in every field even loosely associated with the US’s vast military-industrial complex that have gotten their by networking rather than any other form of merit.

Do you have any concrete points or just snark?

Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#52

Post by nicoburns »

turbinerneiter wrote: post #19

* let universities and public research starve for money * drown them in documentation paperwork for the little money they get * give money to private companies for free and without transparency Corruption.

Yep. It's just blatant with this government. And it's not just the universities. They're doing it with schools. They're doing with the NHS. Councils even.

Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#53

Post by oli5679 »

The USA's DARPA program funded important research into

- The internet

- GPS

- Graphical user interface and mouse

- Onion routing

- Voice assistant

Hopefully this program executes well. There is clearly a big social payoff to betting big on credible people doing risky research with high potential impact.

https://www.itpro.co.uk/technology/34730/10-amazing-darpa-in...

Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#54

Post by Traster »

It's absolutely hilarious to watch a Prime Minister, who has previously given £100k in Tech funding to his mistress, now establishing an even bigger tech fund without the FOIA requirements so that he can... get away with giving £100k in Tech funding to his mistresses in the future I guess?

Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#55

Post by richrichardsson »

mcny wrote: post #22
marcus_holmes wrote: post #14

Why is the government spending tax money on creating new technology with huge risk? Surely this is something that investment funds should be doing, with the investors appopriately aware of the risks? Who is going to benefit from any discovered new tech? Are the benefits going to be socialised, or is it just the risk? If it was supporting pure research - finding great researchers and freeing them from the grant treadm…

> If it was supporting pure research - finding great researchers and freeing them from the grant treadmill - I'd be supportive, but this doesn't sound like that. Same here. I am all for more research but we want more transparency, not less. > Ministers will announce plans tomorrow for an £800 million scientific research agency legally entitled to invest in projects that are likely to fail and which will be exempted f…

> Why would they need to be exempt from freedom of information?

So no-one can find out where the best part of a billion pounds went?

Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#56

Post by heywherelogingo »

hkt wrote: post #38
BTinfinity wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Politicians as a whole are known for lies, deciet and corruption. It's not limited to one specific party nor country. The visibility of corruption may change, but its presence never will.

There is a giant pile of contracts that have been scrutinised that very clearly show the absolutely incestuous nature of procurement since covid and long before too. It isn't "all politicians", it is conservative politicians in the last eleven years. The Good Law Project is a great example of the kind of organisation that investigates this. The Guardian does good work here too. I'm surprised to say it, but even Labou…

"even Labour..." - of course Labour make a noise about it, that's their job. The opposition obviously criticise at any opportunity. Your faith in organisations (the Good Law Project, The Guardian, undoubtedly big left government too) is misplaced given that they're composed of individuals, and small groups within will sieze opportunity. The Guardian journalists show plenty of bias. Clearly the tories are dodgy, but no effort is required to spot the large fly in the anti-tory ointment: Tony Blair - weapons of mass destruction, net worth up to £100m. The narrative of the left being morally superior is absurd. Politicians are low, and I look forward to tech based governance without them. /optimism

Re: UK to launch taxpayer-funded high-risk tech research agency exempt from FOI

#59

Post by hkt »

nicoburns wrote: post #52
turbinerneiter wrote: post #19

* let universities and public research starve for money * drown them in documentation paperwork for the little money they get * give money to private companies for free and without transparency Corruption.

Yep. It's just blatant with this government. And it's not just the universities. They're doing it with schools. They're doing with the NHS. Councils even.

They've been doing it to councils since the 80s. There isn't much of local government left
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