To support AI development, the government will create a National Data Library to safely unlock the value of public data. Credit: Anggalih Prasetya/Shutterstock.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a government initiative to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for economic growth and improved public service delivery.

Dubbed the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the initiative will be supported by £14bn ($17.08bn) in investments from major tech companies namely Vantage Data Centres, Nscale, and Kyndryl.

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The plan includes the establishment of AI Growth Zones designed to streamline planning permissions and provide the energy infrastructure necessary to support AI projects.

The first such zone will be located in Culham, Oxfordshire, the government said.

Additionally, the government intends to expand public computing capacity twentyfold, starting with the development of a new supercomputer.

Starmer said that the “AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.

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“Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services.”

Vantage Data Centres plans to invest £12bn to develop data centres across the UK, including one of Europe’s largest campuses in Wales, creating more than 11,500 jobs.

Kyndryl, an IT infrastructure provider, aims to establish a new tech hub in Liverpool and generate up to 1,000 AI-related jobs over the next three years.

Nscale will invest $2.5bn to strengthen the UK’s data centre infrastructure and will construct an AI data centre in Loughton, Essex, by 2026.

To support AI development, the government will create a National Data Library to safely unlock the value of public data.

A dedicated team will also focus on seizing AI opportunities and enhancing the UK’s sovereign capabilities.

This initiative builds on the £25bn in AI investments announced during the International Investment Summit.