|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
18 September 2025 — The United Kingdom has secured over $42 billion in artificial intelligence investments from major US technology firms, marking a transformative moment in transatlantic cooperation. The announcement coincided with US President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK and the unveiling of a new “Tech Prosperity Deal” aimed at deepening collaboration in AI, quantum computing, and nuclear technologies.
Key Investment Highlights
- Microsoft
- Committed $30 billion through 2028, its largest investment outside the US.
- $15.5 billion will fund capital expansion, including the construction of the UK’s largest AI supercomputer in Essex, powered by 23,000 Nvidia GPUs in partnership with British firm Nscale.
- The remaining $15.1 billion will support operations, including AI model development, gaming, and cloud services.
- Nvidia
- Announced a $15 billion investment to deploy 120,000 Blackwell GPUs across UK data centers.
- Partnering with Nscale and CoreWeave to build AI factories and infrastructure hubs, including the Stargate UK project in Northumberland.
- Google
- Pledged $6.8 billion, including a new $1 billion AI data center in Waltham Cross and expanded funding for DeepMind, its London-based AI research lab.
- OpenAI
- Introduced Stargate UK, a localized version of its massive AI infrastructure initiative, bringing 8,000 GPUs to the country.
- The project is expected to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and economic growth.
- CoreWeave
- Investing £1.5 billion to expand renewable-powered data centers in North Lanarkshire.
- Salesforce and Scale AI
- Salesforce committed £1.4 billion through 2030, while Scale AI will invest £39 million to expand its London operations.
- BlackRock and Oracle
- BlackRock pledged £500 million for data center expansion, and Oracle reaffirmed a $5 billion investment.
Strategic Impact
The UK government has designated North-East England as an “AI Growth Zone,” with sites like Blyth and Cobalt Park earmarked for major infrastructure projects. Officials estimate the initiative could create over 5,000 high-skilled jobs and position the UK as a leading European data center hub.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the investments “a generational step change,” emphasizing their role in boosting innovation, job creation, and regional development. Microsoft President Brad Smith noted the UK’s improved regulatory climate was key to enabling such large-scale commitments.
These investments signal a deepening of the UK-US tech alliance, with AI at the heart of a shared vision for economic and scientific advancement.
London Skyline Picture by Irena Jackson
