Nigel Toon, co-founder and CEO of Graphcore, discusses the goals of the AI Safety Summit, the danger of letting commercial interests and Big Tech shape regulations, and the shortcomings of government when it comes to reining in AI risks.
Bristol-based Graphcore designs hardware and software for intelligent processing unit (IPU) systems. Its technology is used to power AI and machine learning applications. As Toon puts it, Graphcore is the “seller of the picks and shovels” powering the AI revolution. It became one of the UK’s most valuable private tech companies in 2020 after a $222m funding round gave it a valuation of $2.8bn. Toon answers questions about the company’s plan to seek new investment after losses widened last year. Toon was previously CEO at two VC-backed processor companies and co-founder and board director at Icera, a 3G cellular modem chip company, which was sold to Nvidia in 2011.
What is UKTN | The Podcast?
Each week, Jane Wakefield sits down with some of the key movers and shakers from the UK tech ecosystem for the UKTN Podcast. Learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and understand the tech policy affecting businesses across the country.
The UKTN Podcast provides insight into the most influential people in the UK’s innovation economy, exploring their personal and professional journeys and hearing their views on the hottest tech topics of the day.