UK sets out $1.5B 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 US 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.

Reuters