[nologic01]

Imagine how people might feel about the "departed AI train" in any lesser European (or other) country that would not even remotely dream of having an Alan Turing Institute.

It is such self-inflicted misery. The bright future for the UK would have been as a core member the EU, helping shape a large economic space with massive amounts of talent, happily moving around the wonderful cities, taping the endless cultural heritage and building a digital society congruent with the European way of life and values (which in various important ways differs from the US). While the nationalistic reflex is not as strong elsewhere in Europe it is still a hindrance that shows up in countless frictions.

In any case, LLM's are just another stop of the journey. If people stopped digging while in a hole there is always a way out.

[TMWNN]

What utter and complete nonsense. What evidence is there that a UK in the EU would be in any, way, shape or form better off in terms of AI? Zero, zip, zilch, nada, nothing.

Or anything else, for that matter? The current economic woes of Britain are no greater or worse than that of its western EU peers, contrary to the repeated prattle of the UK having committed "economic suicide". Or, rather, if the UK has committed suicide, so has the rest of western Europe.

[nologic01]

Well if you hate what the EU stands for I don't think there is any "evidence" that would sway you in any direction.

That people in Europe have concrete and non-trivial views about important matters is fairly evident if you simply check what kind of laws and regulations they are passing. So there is a distinct vision.

That there is plenty of research talent that is educated to cutting-edge level with citizen tax money is also pretty evident if you check who has been behind some important such AI "innovations". So there is also capability to execute on the vision.

The weakness of the EU is that it can't (not fast enough anyway) build the structures (internal markets etc) that will overcome nativist instincts. To accumulate the resources and critical mass where it is needed. Brexit made everything just a little bit harder.

The UK leaving the EU means, for example, that its cutoff from academic research networks. People are by now even studying this effect quantitatively [1]

Brexit also means that the entire financial system in the EU (which was very London centric) is in shambles. London as a financial center is declining [2] with implications for the shape of Europe's capital markets, the developments around new forms of digital finance, fintech etc.

So, yeah, go on with your livid denial of how disastrous that fateful decision.

[1] https://pubs.aip.org/aip/cha/article/30/6/063145/1030255/Ana...

[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63623502

[matthew9219]

Your premises are deeply mixed into your argument here.

From an (conservative leaning) American perspective - the Alan Turing Institute is an perfect example of broken European thinking. Real innovative happens at highly motivated private companies, private companies who have huge profits to make if they are successful, and who pay huge salaries to talented employees, talented employees who desire to be rich. Government institutions more frequently pay mediocre salaries, reward politicking rather than excellence, and are undermotivated to solve problems, because they are unlikely to receive commensurate share of the benefits.

Now that Britain has left the EU, we Americans hope they will stop pissing money down the drain on useless government programs like the Alan Turing Institute and will instead reorient to a more business friendly environment, which recognizes that innovation happens mostly in successful businesses, and that governments role is to create that business friendly environment.