Reports from the UK government or relevant industry bodies

Starmer's AI Plan Aims to Boost UK Economy by £47bn, Create 13,250 Jobs with £14bn Investment

Jan 13, 2025, 02:19 AM

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to unveil an ambitious AI Opportunities Action Plan aimed at positioning the UK as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The plan includes the implementation of all 50 recommendations from a review conducted by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, focusing on harnessing AI to boost economic growth and improve public services. Key initiatives include the establishment of AI growth zones, starting in Culham, Oxfordshire, and a commitment to increase the UK's computing capacity 20-fold by 2030, which includes the construction of a new supercomputer. The government also plans to create a national data library for AI model training, with potential use of NHS data. The plan has attracted £14 billion in private sector investment from companies such as Vantage Data Centres, Nscale, and Kyndryl, expected to create 13,250 jobs. Starmer emphasized the need for the government to support the AI industry actively and to move quickly to win the global race in AI development. The government estimates that fully embracing AI could boost the UK's GDP by an average of £47 billion annually over a decade. Additionally, the plan includes the establishment of an AI Energy Council to address the energy demands of AI technology, and a target to have 100,000 GPUs available for public and academic use by 2030.