The Turing Institute was an Artificial Intelligence laboratory based in Glasgow, Scotland between 1983 and 1994. The company undertook basic and applied research, working directly with large companies across Europe, the United States, and Japan developing software as well as providing training, consultancy and information services.
The Institute was formed in June 1983 by Donald Michie, Peter Mowforth and Tim Niblett. The Institute was named after Alan Turing who Donald Michie had worked with at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
The organisation grew out of the Machine Intelligence Research Unit at Edinburgh University with a plan to combine research in Artificial Intelligence with technology transfer to industry. In 1983, Sir Graham Hills was instrumental in the Institute moving to Glasgow where, with support from the Scottish Development Agency it formed a close working relationship with Strathclyde University.Lord Balfour (Chairman) and Shirley Williams joined the board along with a growing team of researchers and AI specialists. Notable amongst these was Stephen Muggleton who was responsible for work developing Inductive Logic Programming.
Professor Jim Alty moved his Man Machine Interaction (HCI) group (later the Scottish HCI Centre) to the Turing Institute in 1984. The move included a significant expansion of the Postgraduate school at the Institute. Jim Alty joined the Turing Institute Board and became Chief Executive. The HCI Centre and the Institute collaborated on a wide range of projects.