UK investing billions in AI infrastructure to become ‘world leader’

The government of the United Kingdom (UK) has announced a massive investment plan to make the country a ‘world leader’ in artificial intelligence (AI).
Estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) show that the adaptation of AI could improve productivity up to 1.5% annually in the UK. These gains could be worth up to an average £47 billion to the UK each year over a decade.
According to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, AI can transform the lives of working people. “But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race,” he says in a statement.
Starmer plans to forge so-called AI Growth Zones to speed up planning proposals for data centers and AI infrastructure. Another key element in his Plan for Change is building a supercomputer, which could increase the public computing capacity by twentyfold in 2030.
In addition, a dedicated AI Energy Council will be established to understand the energy demands and challenges to fuel the technology’s development. Furthermore, Starmer intends to create a new National Data Library to safely and securely unlock public data and support AI development.
Three major companies have already committed to invest £14 billion to help build the AI infrastructure and create 13,250 new jobs. This is on top of a £25 billion investment that was announced at the International Investment Summit in October 2024.
“Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services. That’s the change this government is delivering,” Starmer promises.
“AI has the potential to change all of our lives but for too long, we have been curious and often cautious bystanders to the change unfolding around us. With this plan, we become agents of that change. This government is determined that the UK is not left behind in the global race for AI,” Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle adds.
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