Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has, alongside the Treasury, offered more information on plans to make its largest ever investment in the UK, which is set to benefit artificial intelligence data centres.
Some £2.5 billion will be spent over the next three years on AI infrastructure, including on sites in London, Cardiff and potentially in the north of England , a statement said on Thursday.
This will see 20,000 of the “most advanced graphics processing units,” which are used in machine learning, set up in the UK by 2026.
“As business and the public sector embrace the AI opportunity, we are building the infrastructure that will support the growth they need,” Microsoft UK boss Clare Barclay said.
Millions will also be spent on training people to use and build AI programmes under the plan.
Alongside this, Microsoft said it would prioritise access to graphics processing units for UK science and research.
“Microsoft is committed as a company to ensuring that the UK as a country has world-leading AI infrastructure, easy access to the skills people need, and broad protections for safety and security,” the tech giant’s president, Brad Smith, added.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced news of Microsoft’s investment earlier this week, as pledges by businesses to collectively invest almost £30 billion in the UK were unveiled.
Hunt dubbed Microsoft’s investment as a “vote of confidence” on Thursday meanwhile, adding it would help the UK on the way to becoming a European “tech hub”.