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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he plans to “mainline AI into the veins” of the country with billions worth of investments from private tech firms and the full adoption of a 50-point artificial intelligence action plan.
The UK government said on Jan. 13 that it has agreed to implement all 50 recommendations in a report submitted last year by Matt Clifford, chair of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).
One recommendation was to set up AI Growth Zones, where planning approvals for data centers can be fast-tracked.
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The plan also includes creating a supercomputer with enough power to play chess half a million times a second and setting up a new National Data Library with publicly available data to train AI models.
The UK’s plan comes amid fierce competition in the AI sector, mostly among US tech giants, and mounting scrutiny of the resources, such as power and water, that are needed to run the technology.
Neighboring Ireland has halted new data centers around the Dublin area until 2028, with the country’s grid operator saying the computer-filled buildings consumed around a fifth of the country’s electricity in 2023.
The UK government has also flagged that it intends to create a dedicated AI Energy Council to liaise with energy companies and a new government department within the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT).
Tech companies Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl have committed a combined $17 billion (14 billion British pounds) toward investment in building the AI infrastructure.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has instructed every cabinet member to prioritize AI adoption and said the plan will “drive incredible change” in the country’s AI industry.
“The AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers.”“In a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race,” Starmer added.
Tech giants, including Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI, welcomed the UK government’s plan. Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK, said the scale of ambition for AI development and adoption in the UK would help drive economic growth.
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Julian David, CEO of the tech industry trade group techUK, said now that the government has a plan, it needs to act “at pace” to remain competitive.
According to Stanford University rankings, the US currently leads the world in AI in areas including research and infrastructure. China is second, while the UK is third.
The US currently leads the world in AI development, but the UK government hopes to remain competitive in the industry under its new plan. Source: Stanford University
“To drive new investment, Industry will want to see more detail on how this plan will be actioned within the next six months, particularly as we face growing competition from other countries,” David said.
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