Alan Turing Institute chief steps down amid staff disquiet and government pressure

Jean Innes to step down as Alan Turing Institute CEO

Jean Innes will leave her role as chief executive of the Alan Turing Institute later this year, bringing an end to months of internal turmoil and government pressure over the organisation's direction.

Innes, who took up the role in 2023, confirmed she would remain in post until later this year while the search for her successor begins.

"It has been a great honour to lead the UK's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, implementing a new strategy and overseeing significant organisational transformation," she said. "With that work concluding, and a new chapter starting for the institute, now is the right time for new leadership and I am excited about what it will achieve."

The decision follows a letter in July from technology secretary Peter Kyle to the institute's chair, Doug Gurr, urging a stronger focus on defence and national security. Kyle also called for "careful consideration" of whether the current executive team was suited to oversee that pivot. Gurr's reply confirmed ATI would adopt the new direction while maintaining some research in health and the environment.

Staff at the institute, however, have voiced concern about the changes. A redundancy process is already underway, with about 50 posts identified as being at risk. Some programmes linked to online safety, housing and health inequality have been dropped.

As reported by The Guardian, one staff member involved in staff consultations said Innes's departure showed "governance at the institute was not working" and argued that leadership "needed to be held to account". Others warned the organisation risked abandoning its broader mission of addressing societal challenges.

Internal turmoil and financial concerns

The institute has been under strain for more than a year, with internal protests and a whistleblower complaint to the Charity Commission lodged last month. That complaint cited fears over funding, with staff warning that the Institute would collapse if the government withdrew its £100 million of support.

Founded in 2015, the institute employs around 440 people and was set up as the UK's national centre for data science and later expanded into artificial intelligence. Its research has included work with the Met Office, projects to improve air traffic control, and the development of cardiac digital twins to aid heart disease studies. The institute also established a Council of Data Ethics to guide its research approach.

Gurr thanked Innes for her leadership, saying she had helped deliver "real-world impact in priority areas for the UK".