UK creates AI growth plan
Among the 50 proposals, which were announced by the prime minister on 13th January, are dedicated AI growth zones, which aim to speed up planning permission and giving companies the energy connections they need for AI expansion.
The first AI growth zone will be set up in Culham, Oxfordshire, which is home to the UK’s Atomic Energy Authority.
Other proposals included in the action plan include increasing public compute capacity by twenty-fold, with work beginning on a new supercomputer.
A National Data Library will be founded to unlock the value of public data and support AI development, while a dedicated AI Energy Council chaired by the science and energy secretaries will also be established.
The energy council will work with energy companies to understand the energy demands and challenges which will fuel the AI’s development, and exploring areas such as small modular reactors.
Matt Clifford has been appointed as advisor to the prime minister on AI opportunities, bringing together a team across No. 10 and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to build the country’s AI capabilities.
Sir Demis Hassabis will also provide expertise to the government on the opportunities of AI.
The government said that estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put the potential boost to productivity at 1.5 percentage points a year, which the government claimed could be worth £47bn to the UK over a decade.
Three major firms – Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl – have committed to a £14bn investment in building AI infrastructure in the UK, on top of an already announced £25bn in AI investment announced by the government at last year’s International Investment Summit.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Artificial intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people.
“But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.
“Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets and transformed public services.”

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