Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has announced a £5 billion ($6.8 billion) investment in artificial intelligence in the United Kingdom, unveiled just as U.S. President Donald Trump begins his state visit to Britain.
The two-year package includes a new data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, designed to power AI-driven platforms such as Google Cloud, Workspace, Search and Maps. The project is expected to support 8,250 jobs annually across U.K. businesses.
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves hailed the commitment as “a powerful vote of confidence in the U.K. economy and the strength of our partnership with the United States.”
The investment will also provide new funding for London-based DeepMind, led by Nobel Prize winner Demis Hassabis, which is developing the next wave of AI breakthroughs. Alphabet president and chief investment officer Ruth Porat said the initiative reflects Google’s deepening commitment to Britain.
“With today’s announcement, Google is deepening our roots in the U.K. and helping support Great Britain’s potential with AI to add £400 billion to the economy by 2030 while also enhancing critical social services,” Porat said.
In a parallel move, Google struck a deal with Shell to manage its U.K. renewable energy supply, providing clean power and grid support for its expanding data centre operations.
Trump is set to arrive in London on Tuesday evening, with state ceremonies and business engagements scheduled from Wednesday, alongside expectations of more U.S.-U.K. trade deals.
Leave a Reply