Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will speak on April 30, 2024 at Microsoft Build AI Day in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Adek Berry | AFP | Getty Images
London – Microsoft On Tuesday, it said it plans to invest $30 billion in the UK by 2028 as the company is building an artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The investment includes an additional $15.5 billion in capital expansion and $15.1 billion in UK operations, Microsoft said. The company said the investment will allow it to build the UK’s “large supercomputer” with over 23,000 advanced graphics processing units in partnership with UK cloud computing company NSCALE.
The spending commitment comes as President Donald Trump embarks on a national visit to the UK. Trump will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening and will be greeted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
During his visit, all eyes are on British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer. Kiel Starmer has been under pressure to bring stability to the country after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner left over over a House tax scandal and major cabinet restructuring.
In a call with a reporter Tuesday, Microsoft President Brad Smith said his stance on the UK has been warming over the years. He previously criticized the 2023 attempt to block video game developer Activision-Blizzard’s $69 billion acquisition in 2023. The contract was cleared by the UKS Competition Regulator later that year.
“I was not optimistic every day, every day about the UK business environment,” Smith said. However, he added, “I am very encouraged by the measures the government has taken over the last few years.”
“Just a few years ago, this type of investment was due to the regulatory environment of the time and could not have been thought of because there was no need or demand for this type of large-scale AI investment,” Smith said.
The government said in a statement late Tuesday, with starmer and Trump set to sign a new agreement on Wednesday to “unlock investment and cooperation in AI, Quantum and nuclear technology.”
Watch: What is at risk in Trump’s visit to the UK?
