Turing AI Institute boss denies accusations of 'toxic internal culture'

Turing AI Institute boss denies accusations of 'toxic internal culture'

4 days ago Share Save Zoe Kleinman Technology editor Share Save

Getty/Alamy Alan Turing Institute Chair Dr Doug Gurr, left, and the Alan Turing Institute, right

The Alan Turing Institute Chair has told the BBC there is "no substance" to a number of serious accusations which rocked the organisation in the summer. In August, whistleblowers accused the charity's leadership of misusing public funds, overseeing a "toxic internal culture", and failing to deliver on its mission. They said the Turing Institute, the UK's national body for artificial intelligence (AI), was on the brink of collapse after Peter Kyle, the then technology secretary, threatened to withdraw its £100m funding. But speaking exclusively to the BBC, Chair Dr Doug Gurr said the whistleblower claims were "independently investigated" by a third party which found them to have "no substance".

"I fully sympathise that going through any transition is always challenging," he said. "It's been challenging for a lot of people and a number of concerns have been raised. "Every single one of those has been independently investigated and we've not found any substance." He did not name the third party which had carried out the investigation. But the Turing's woes go beyond the allegations themselves, with three senior directors, the chief technology officer and most recently the chief executive all leaving their jobs. It is also under investigation by the Charity Commission - and Dr Gurr did not give any indication he would consider standing down himself if it concluded there were issues. Instead, he said he loved his job and was proud of what the organisation had achieved under his tenure.

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