Google Plans £5 Billion UK AI Investment

At the opening of its data center in the UK, Google announced it would invest another £5 billion in its local operations. New projects would focus on AI research for the science and healthcare sectors, and it is predicted that they would support a little more than 8,000 jobs each year.

The company said that the opening of the data center in the south of the UK forms part of a two-year investment spanning capex, R&D, and associated engineering. In a statement, it hailed the moves as another milestone in its commitment to the AI sector in the UK.

Some of the £5 billion it now plans to invest will go towards Google DeepMind AI R&D, with the company emphasising benefits to the UK’s economy and cybersecurity, along with job creation. Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and its parent Alphabet, estimated AI could add £400 billion to the UK economy by 2030, a potential she argued her company is helping unlock, along with enhancing critical social services.

Google unveiled a carbon-free energy management arrangement with Shell Energy Europe, stating it would contribute to grid stability by focusing on clean power creation and access to battery storage systems. The company said the arrangement with Shell and its other clean energy initiatives in the UK could result in its operations running at or near 95% carbon-free energy in 2026.