Self-driving cars, delivery drones, and AI-powered medical assistants will only be widely adopted if the public actually trusts them—and the UK is building a national hub to make sure that happens. The problem is that public suspicion can kill promising technologies, as seen with GM crops and fracking. Autonomous systems—from robot taxis to automated warehouse logistics—face the same risk. Engineers can certify that a system is technically safe, but that means little if users, regulators, and the wider public remain unconvinced. The Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub brings together engineers, social scientists, and policymakers to tackle both sides: objective assurance and subjective trust. If the hub succeeds, it will shape how autonomous systems are designed, regulated, and operated across the UK. This could affect everything from how energy grids balance supply and demand to how supply chains route packages, how medical diagnostics flag anomalies, and how navigation systems handle unexpected road conditions. The hub also runs a skills programme to train the next generation of researchers and industry leaders, creating a pipeline of talent for a sector that will quietly underpin much of modern life.
View original technical description
Public opinion on complex scientific topics can have dramatic effects on industrial sectors (e.g. GM crops, fracking, global warming). In order to realise the industrial and societal benefits of Autonomous Systems, they must be trustworthy by design and default, judged both through objective processes of systematic assurance and certification, and via the more subjective lens of users, industry, and the public. To address this and deliver it across the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) programme, the UK Research Hub for TAS (TAS-UK) assembles a team that is world renowned for research in understanding the socially embedded nature of technologies. TASK-UK will establish a collaborative platform for the UK to deliver world-leading best practices for the design, regulation and operation of 'socially beneficial' autonomous systems which are both trustworthy in principle, and trusted in practice by individuals, society and government. TAS-UK will work to bring together those within a broader landscape of TAS research, including the TAS nodes, to deliver the fundamental scientific principles that underpin TAS; it will provide a focal point for market and society-led research into TAS; and provide a visible and open door to engage a broad range of end-users, international collaborators and investors. TAS-UK will do this by delivering three key programmes to deliver the overall TAS programme, including the Research Programme, the Advocacy & Engagement Programme, and the Skills Programme. The core of the Research Programme is to amplify and shape TAS research and innovation in the UK, building on existing programmes and linking with the seven TAS nodes to deliver a coherent programme to ensure coverage of the fundamental research issues. The Advocacy & Engagement Programme will create a set of mechanisms for engagement and co-creation with the public, public sector actors, government, the third sector, and industry to help define best practices, assurance processes, and formulate policy. It will engage in cross-sector industry and partner connection and brokering across nodes. The Skills Programme will create a structured pipeline for future leaders in TAS research and innovation with new training programmes and openly available resources for broader upskilling and reskilling in TAS industry.
Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.
Is something wrong? Let us know