Artificial Intelligence Responsibly (AIR) Programme
Funded by RAi UK, the Artificial Intelligence Responsibly (AIR) programme is a high-level, cross-institutional initiative spanning all four nations of the UK, established to address the critical gap between world-leading academic research in Artificial Intelligence and its successful commercial implementation. Led by Future Worlds with the UCL Centre for Digital Innovation and RAi UK, AIR is positioned as a launchpad to accelerate the translation of research into globally scalable, responsible AI startups.
Through its “triple lock” approach, making entrepreneurship Accessible, Authentic, and Aspirational, AIR seeks to create an inclusive ecosystem that transforms diverse researchers into successful AI entrepreneurs. The programme bridges the research-commercialisation gap while embedding responsible AI principles from conception, ultimately aiming to produce globally scalable, ethical AI startups that deliver significant socio-economic benefits and inspire the next generation of diverse STEM founders.
AIR26 Cohort
Following an AI hackathon organised by RAi UK in May 2025, and a national wide recruitment campaign researchers turned budding entrepreneurs were invited to take part in a bootcamp in September 2025. Bootcamp participants then pitched for a space on the fully-funded six-month acceleration programme designed to get their startup investor-ready.
AIR26 cohort pictured with advisor Anne Boden
The culmination of the six month cohort was the AIR26 Demo Day, hosted at KPMG Canary Wharf, London, on Wednesday 4 March 2026. The day included a panel discussion, hosted by leading tech journalist Lara Lewington, on “Superpower or Subcontractor? How to scale UK AI” with Professor Gina Neff (Deputy CEO, RAI UK), Emre Kazim (Co-Founder, Holistic AI), Alastair Mitchell (Managing Partner, Odyssey Ventures), and Giles Pavey (Global Director of Data Science, Unilever).
The 5 pitching teams for AIR26 were:
Deep Fabrication, Dr Yasir J. Noori: Using advanced AI to eliminate nanometre defects in semiconductors, improving chip yields and powering next-gen manufacturing.
Smart Offshore Design, Dr Zohreh Moradinia: AI-driven surrogate modelling to accelerate floating offshore wind platform design and unlock the sector’s full potential.
DefChat, Dr Túndé Ọlátúnjí: Building trust infrastructure for expressive AI, with a verifiable layer to enforce consent and attribution for voice across every platform.
FairMD, Dr Rounak Verma: Eliminating recruitment bias in clinical trials through AI, building more diverse patient cohorts and removing the industry’s biggest operational bottleneck.
Dyador, Dr Irill Ishak: Equipment-free DNA detection for bacterial infections in 15 minutes, using AI to identify genetic fingerprints for rapid veterinary testing globally.
Expressions of interest for AIR27 are now open >> Find out more!
The AIR Programme has also created a podcast, The Age of AI, hosted by Ben Clark (Director, Future Worlds) and Lara Lewington. New videos are released every Thursday on YouTube.