UK set for extra $5 billion AI investment

Digital infrastructure group Equinix on Thursday announced plans to invest £3.9 billion ($5.1 billion) on new AI data centres near London, boosting Britain's ambition of becoming a leader in artificial intelligence.

An AI "campus" will be constructed in the county of Hertfordshire, north of the capital, and follows recent announcements from US technology giants Microsoft and Google to invest billions of dollars in Britain's artificial intelligence sector.

The investment by Nasdaq-listed Equinix "is a clear sign of commitment to the UK's ambition to lead in sovereign AI", it said in a joint statement with Britain's Labour government.


"This £3.9 billion investment is a huge win for Britain," added technology minister Liz Kendall.

"It will give businesses -- from life sciences to high street banks -- the ability to connect to thousands of other businesses across the world in an instant, powering our AI ambitions, boosting growth and creating hundreds of well-paid jobs," she said.