Britain faces potential transformation into an AI "user nation" rather than an AI "producer," according to Hoberman's warning, with Nvidia and Microsoft dedicating billions to the field.
In a significant move, Nvidia, alongside partners such as NScale, CoreWeave, and others, has announced plans to invest up to £11bn in AI factories across the UK. This investment forms part of a broader tech revolution, with Microsoft also committing substantial resources to the UK's AI and cloud infrastructure.
Brent Hoberman, the co-founder of lastminute.com and executive chairman of Founders Forum Group, has praised these investments, stating that they will have a significant impact on the UK's technological landscape. He urges the UK to seize the opportunity and focus on building data centers, nurturing homegrown companies, and creating new national champions.
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, hailed the investment as a step towards building the infrastructure for the AI industrial revolution in the UK. Nvidia is deploying 120,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs in the UK, marking the largest infrastructure rollout in the UK's history.
Microsoft's investment of up to $30bn from 2025 to 2028 will be used to build the UK's biggest supercomputer, in partnership with NScale. This supercomputer will be located near London and is expected to be operational by 2026.
The UK government has also signed a "tech prosperity deal" with the US, focusing on developing AI, quantum, and nuclear technologies. This deal underscores the strategic importance of these technologies in shaping the future of both nations.
Professor Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum, emphasized the importance of sovereign capability in quantum computing. He urged the UK government to ensure homegrown companies receive long-term support to remain both independent and globally competitive in this field.
Notable British companies influenced by these investments include British cloud providers like NScale, which is partnering with Microsoft on a supercomputer, and local firms involved in deploying Nvidia's 120,000 GPU AI accelerators planned by 2026. Microsoft also operates research labs such as Microsoft Research in Cambridge and AI labs in London, supporting UK science and technology leadership.
OpenAI, NScale, and Nvidia are announcing a UK version of Stargate, a sovereign AI infrastructure version of OpenAI's mammoth Stargate project. This development will further strengthen the UK's position in the global AI race.
However, Brent Hoberman expressed concern about the UK becoming AI "users, not makers." He suggests that the UK should learn from Europe, citing France backing Mistral and Germany backing Helsing as examples of European nations investing in their own AI capabilities.
In conclusion, the tech industry is witnessing a surge of investment in the UK's AI and cloud infrastructure. With the UK and US focusing on developing AI, quantum, and nuclear technologies, and British companies playing a significant role in these developments, the UK is well-positioned to become a global leader in these fields. However, it is crucial for the UK to prioritize talent and deploy capital at scale to ensure it remains at the forefront of this technological revolution.
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