Urgent overhaul of UK AI infrastructure needed, report warns – UKTN

The UK must urgently upgrade its AI infrastructure to protect both its national and economic security, according to a new report from the Tony Blair Institute.

According to research from the group, the UK is in danger of falling behind in the AI race, controlling just 3% of global computing power required to support an AI-led economy – the US by contrast owns 75% of the world’s AI supercomputers.

Though acknowledging the UK’s world-class research talent, the report called for an expedited effort to rapidly scale its AI infrastructure, from data centres to the energy grid to planning rules.

“Britain must build – the country’s AI infrastructure situation is dire, and the consequences matter”, said report author Keegan McBride, TBI’s technology and geopolitical expert.

“We have placed AI at the centre of our growth and security goals, but without urgent investment we risk rapidly losing our ability to harness it securely which will significantly impact our economy and security.

“Nvidia’s own CEO has recently warned that the UK is ‘the world’s largest AI ecosystem without its own infrastructure.’”

McBride described this as a “now or never moment,” and that with “bold reforms to energy, planning and wider regulations, the UK can deliver cost-effective infrastructure for the public at pace and at scale”.

Among the reports recommendations are putting AI ambitions at the centre of energy planning and reforming the planning system to speed up the development of infrastructure.

The government has already addressed the need to speed up the development of tech infrastructure in its AI Opportunities Action Plan, which included plans to designate regions as AI Growth Zones in which planning requirements for new data centres are simplified.

The TBI report argued this should be powered up by embedding AI Growth Zones in legislation and establishing an AI Growth Zone Authority to coordinate the delivery.

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