GOOGLE OWNER ALPHABET UNVEILS £5BN UK AI INVESTMENT, OPENS £735M DATA CENTRE

Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company and the world’s fourth-largest corporation, has announced a massive £5 billion ($6.8 billion) investment in UK artificial intelligence infrastructure and research over the next two years.

The commitment includes the official opening of a $1 billion (£735 million) data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves will inaugurate on Tuesday. The investment will expand this facility and fund London-based DeepMind, the AI research company run by British Nobel Prize winner Sir Demis Hassabis.

Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat told BBC News the UK offers “profound opportunities” for pioneering work in advanced science, noting the emergence of a “US-UK special technology relationship” with both economic risks to mitigate and tremendous growth opportunities.

The announcement comes as Alphabet recently joined the exclusive $3 trillion market valuation club alongside Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple, following a share price surge after US courts decided against breaking up the company.

Chancellor Reeves described the investment as “a powerful vote of confidence in the UK economy” that demonstrates the strength of the UK-US partnership. The investment is the first of several major US commitments expected ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming state visit.

Addressing environmental concerns about data centres’ energy use, Porat emphasized the Waltham Cross facility will use air-cooling rather than water-cooling systems and will capture and redeploy heat to warm schools and homes. Google has also secured a deal with Shell to supply 95% carbon-free energy for its UK operations.

Regarding AI’s impact on employment, Porat acknowledged potential downsides but emphasized that “AI is collaborating with people rather than replacing them,” with new industries creating opportunities even as existing jobs evolve.

Source:NKONKONSA.com