Google has announced a two-year £5 billion investment to further the UK’s ambitions around intelligence (AI).
The sum includes the opening today of a new state-of-the-art $1 billion datacentre (pictured), which Google said will help meet demand for its AI-powered services.
The £5 billion incorporates Google’s capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering over the next two years, encompassing London-based Google DeepMind with its AI research in science and healthcare.
Google estimates the investment will create 8,250 jobs annually at UK businesses.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves opened the datacentre. She said: “Google’s £5 billion investment is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK economy and the strength of our partnership with the US, creating jobs and economic growth for years to come.”
“With today’s announcement, Google is deepening our roots in the UK and helping support Great Britain’s potential with AI to add £400 billion to the economy by 2030 while also enhancing critical social services,” said Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer, Google and its parent company, Alphabet.
In an interview with the BBC, Porat referenced the UK government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, through which it said it wants to unlock better jobs and opportunities.
Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO, Google DeepMind, added: “We founded DeepMind in London because we knew the UK had the potential and talent to be a global hub for pioneering AI.
“The UK has a rich history of being at the forefront of technology – from Lovelace to Babbage to Turing – so it’s fitting that we’re continuing that legacy by investing in the next wave of innovation and scientific discovery in the UK.”
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Energy efficiency and capacity
Google said it is committed to “responsibly growing its infrastructure, while applying AI to increase energy availability and resilience” in the communities where it operates.
Today, the tech giant also announced it has selected Shell Energy Europe as its 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Manager in the UK, an agreement it said which will contribute to grid stability and the UK’s energy transition.
Shell will manage a power portfolio for Google that addresses the intermittency of clean energy generation through access to battery energy storage systems (BESS). Shell will optimise Google’s existing clean energy portfolio, including the off-take from its agreement with ENGIE from the Moray West project in Scotland, storing surplus energy when production is high and releasing stored power back to the grid when production is low.
Between the Shell alliance and Google’s other clean energy initiatives, Google said its UK operations are projected to run at or near 95 percent carbon-free-energy in 2026.
The datacentre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, uses advanced air-cooling technology to limit water usage to domestic use and is also equipped to support off-site heat recovery, meaning heat from the facility can be re-routed and provided free of charge to help warm local homes, schools or businesses.
Google is also investing to support people across the UK to gain the skills that support AI adoption. It said has trained more than one million Britons with skills in the past decade and is part of the industry group, announced by the Prime Minister in July, partnering to train 7.5 million people by 2030.
Former DWP Digital chief digital and information officer (CDIO), Rich Corbridge said the next few years will decide whether the UK becomes a global leader or lags behind in building a sustainable, inclusive digital economy.
He said: ““The UK has an opportunity to lead. By embedding sustainability, inclusion, and trust at the heart of technology investment, we can create an environment where innovation thrives.”
