UK sets out $1.5 billion AI hardware plan with supercomputer, chip funding

Britain set out a new £1.1 billion ($1.47 billion) plan on Monday to build domestic AI computing capacity, including a new national supercomputer and funding to back homegrown chip firms.

The strategy builds on a £400 million commitment announced by Prime ‌Minister Keir ⁠Starmer at ⁠London Tech Week earlier on Monday for specialist AI chip ​purchases, part of a wider effort to strengthen the country's ​sovereign computing capability.

Below are the key details of Britain's commitment, set out by the government:


A £750 million national ​AI supercomputer will deploy in ⁠2030, using ‌a mixed chip system combining proven ​and next-generation ​processors.

£400 million of the supercomputer budget will ⁠go towards next-generation chips, including £150 million for ​inference chips to be purchased this summer ​from British firms.

A fund led by U.S. venture capital firm Playground Global and backed by up to £150 million from the British Business Bank will invest in UK AI hardware companies.

The BBB's ‌commitment marks the largest single fund investment the bank has ever made.

Playground Global will ​open its ​first office ⁠outside the U.S. in the UK.

A £120 million AI hardware innovation programme will fund British companies to design, develop and test novel chips.

£45 million in new skills support brings total government AI hardware sector skills funding to £80 million. ($1 = 0.7488 pounds)