LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir

Starmer on Wednesday opened London's first Google-funded AI

Campus which aims to help young people develop skills in the

rapidly developing technology.

The centre, based in Camden, an area which Starmer

represents in parliament and which is also home to Google's

future offices in Kings Cross, has already started a two-year

pilot project for local students.

An first cohort of 32 people aged 16-18 will have access to

resources in AI and machine learning and receive mentoring and

expertise from Google's AI company DeepMind, the tech giant

said.

The students will tackle real-world projects connecting AI

to fields such as health, social sciences and the arts at the

campus, which has been established in partnership with the local

authority, Google said.

Starmer said the launch was a "seismic moment" that would

help students, many of whom were living in challenging

circumstances, to see themselves as part of the AI future.

"It's in rooms like this that we're going to forge the

future and inspire the next generation, because the

possibilities of AI are quite incredible," he said.

Google's UK and Ireland managing director Debbie Weinstein

announced 865,000 pounds ($1.10 million) of funding for an AI

literacy programme across the UK.

The money will be used by charities Raspberry Pi Foundation

and Parent Zone to help train teachers with an aim of reaching

over 250,000 students by the end of 2026, she said.

"We believe that AI's enormous opportunities should be

accessible to all and this groundbreaking initiative, by

empowering the next generation to learn vital digital skills,

will be key in supporting the UK to unlock AI's 400

billion-pound economic potential," she said.

($1 = 0.7891 pounds)