Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Microsoft’s new £2.5bn data centres are ‘turning point’ for AI in Britain

by December 1, 2023
December 1, 2023
Microsoft’s new £2.5bn data centres are ‘turning point’ for AI in Britain

Microsoft will invest £2.5 billion in Britain over the next three years to double its data centre capacity and provide computing power to help to drive the expansion of artificial intelligence.

The investment has been hailed by Rishi Sunak as “a turning point for the future of AI infrastructure and development in the UK”.

The American technology company plans to bring more than 20,000 advanced graphics processing units to Britain by 2026. It plans to expand sites in London and Cardiff and is looking at a “potential expansion into northern England”.

Business briefing Morning and midday updates on financial and economic news from our award-winning business team. Sign up with one click
It said the investment would help with training “more than one million people for the AI economy”, while it also pledged also to support AI safety and research efforts.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice-chairman and president, said: “Microsoft is committed as a company to ensuring that the UK as a country has world-leading AI infrastructure, easy access to the skills people need and broad protections for safety and security.”

The warm words about the UK as a business destination stand in contrast to comments made earlier this year, when the competition watchdog blocked Microsoft’s $69 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard, the games developer. The veto was lifted after Microsoft came back with changes.

Smith, 64, was speaking on a visit to Microsoft’s newest and largest data centre, which is under construction in Acton, west London. It is run fully on renewable energy and, in response to concerns over data centres’ large power usage, Microsoft has invested in the local energy grid. It is also looking at how it can share energy, heat and water from its facility with the local community.

Brad Smith, the Microsoft president, left, speaks with Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, during the visit to Microsoft’s data centre construction site in Acton

The Microsoft executive also called attention to Britain’s commitment to global collaboration on AI after the inaugural Safety Summit hosted by the government at Bletchley Park at the start of November, which was attended by 27 countries, including China.

He previously has raised concerns about the threats from Chinese AI, revealing in an interview in May that Microsoft had uncovered evidence of Chinese state-sponsored espionage. Smith said at the time: “We should absolutely assume that certain nation states will use AI to launch cyberattacks.”

On Thursday, however, he responded positively to questions about whether the UK was right to invite China to the AI summit table: “I think that the world needs to have a global conversation and every country should have a shared interest in ensuring that AI remains under human control with the right kinds of safety standards.”

Read more:
Microsoft’s new £2.5bn data centres are ‘turning point’ for AI in Britain

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Investing in Whisky Safely – 3 Scam Indicators to Be Aware of
next post
Former TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding to become first female head of the Jockey Club

You may also like

Empowering Communities Through Healthcare: A Conversation with Lena...

January 16, 2025

Google Play Store Introduces New Features

October 4, 2023

UK’s Petrol & Diesel ban delay will release...

September 21, 2023

Aston Martin cuts volume targets after production delays

November 2, 2023

Could mentoring be the catalyst for the UK’s...

February 5, 2025

An Introduction to The AI Act: What You...

June 24, 2024

The importance of getting a workplace investigation right

June 22, 2023

How a Trading Challenge Can Help You Earn...

November 15, 2024

Location tech scaleup Navenio secures $6.3m to boost...

September 20, 2023

Lightning the Digital Workload

September 18, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Musk feud presents ‘unprecedented’ dynamic compared to past Trump disputes: expert

      June 7, 2025
    • Snub of Musk’s NASA nominee ally preceded sudden ‘big, beautiful bill’ criticism, Trump feud

      June 6, 2025
    • Supreme Court rules DOGE can access Social Security information

      June 6, 2025
    • US sanctions money laundering network aiding Iran as regime faces nuclear reprimand at IAEA

      June 6, 2025
    • From Tariffs to Tech: Where Smart Money’s Moving Right Now

      June 6, 2025
    • Your Weekly Stock Market Snapshot: What It Means for Your Investments

      June 6, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,149)
    • Investing (2,019)
    • Politics (15,556)
    • Stocks (3,134)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved