"Since 2024, successive Conservative and Labour governments have proclaimed massive deals to build new datacentres, create thousands of jobs and construct a supercomputer. The investments led by two firms linked to AI giant Nvidia have been touted as a cornerstone of the government's promise to use tech to turbocharge the economy."
"But a Guardian investigation has shown the money isn't necessarily real, the datacentres may not be new, the jobs are unaccounted for and the supercomputer site 12 miles north of London is still a scaffolding yard."
"In one case, it said that there was no contract in place for a 1.9bn ($2.5bn) investment despite a press release declaring that one had been signed. In another, it said that it was not playing an active role in auditing these commitments."
Since 2024, the UK government has promoted multibillion-pound AI investments as economic cornerstones, featuring deals from firms linked to Nvidia for datacentres, job creation, and supercomputer construction. Recent announcements included prominent board appointments and a $2bn funding round for NScale, raising its valuation to $14.6bn. However, investigation reveals significant discrepancies: claimed investments lack substantiation, datacentres may not be new facilities, job creation figures remain unaccounted for, and a purported supercomputer site remains a scaffolding yard. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology acknowledged having no contracts for a £1.9bn investment despite press releases claiming otherwise, and admitted limited oversight of these commitments. These findings raise broader questions about AI investment announcements globally.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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