Faced with signs of economic stagnation, the United Kingdom is investing heavily in AI. On Monday, British Minister Keir Starmer announced a new . At the center of the initiative are “AI Growth Zones,” which the government plans to establish in deindustrialized areas across the country.
In these areas, the Labor Government will speed up data center planning approvals and provide better access to the national energy grid. Starmer said the UK’s first AI growth zone would be established in Culham, Oxfordshire, home to the country’s Atomic Energy Authority. Other zones will be announced this summer.
At the same time, Starmer’s government plans to increase the state’s computing capacity by a factor of 20, starting with the “immediate” construction of a new supercomputer with “enough AI power to play chess half a million times per second. As of November 2024, the UK has 14 supercomputers on its network. list, placing it behind – by far – the United States and China.
Additionally, the plan will see the government create a national data library, which it says will make the country more attractive to investors by allowing private industry to “securely unlock the value of public data”. Finally, a new AI Energy Council will work with energy companies to meet the energy demands of the AI sector in a way consistent with the Government’s clean energy strategy.
“Artificial intelligence will bring incredible changes to our country. “Whether it’s teachers customizing courses, supporting small businesses with their record keeping, or expediting scheduling applications, it has the potential to transform workers’ lives,” said Starmer. “But the AI industry needs a government that stands by it, that doesn’t stand idly by and let opportunities slip away. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand idly by. »
Over the next ten years, Starmer’s government estimates its strategy could generate up to £47 billion ($57 billion) in annual economic growth. The announcement comes after the British economy in the third quarter of last year. From this point of view, making the country more attractive for external investment is not the worst idea, especially if companies like Microsoft plan to invest in new data centers this year.
