Microsoft has announced plans to commit $30 billion for artificial intelligence development in the United Kingdom by 2028, marking one of its largest single-country technology investments to date.
The initiative will allocate $15 billion to capital expenditures and another $15 billion toward its U.K. operations, according to the company. A central feature of the plan is the construction of the nation’s largest supercomputer, powered by more than 23,000 advanced graphics processing units (GPUs). Microsoft will partner with Nscale, a British cloud computing firm, to bring the project online.
The announcement coincides with President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain. Trump arrived in the country Tuesday evening and will meet King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
Attention is also fixed on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who faces political turbulence following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over a house tax controversy and a subsequent major cabinet reshuffle.
On a press call, Microsoft President Brad Smith acknowledged that his view of the U.K. has shifted in recent years. Smith was once sharply critical of British regulators after their initial 2023 opposition to Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, a deal later cleared by the U.K.'s competition watchdog.
“I haven’t always been optimistic every single day about the business climate in the U.K.,” Smith said. “But I am very encouraged by the steps the government has taken over the last few years.” He added that such a large-scale AI investment “would have been inconceivable just a few years ago” due to regulatory uncertainty and limited demand for advanced AI infrastructure.
The U.K. government said late Tuesday that Starmer and Trump are expected to sign a new agreement aimed at boosting cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear technologies. Officials described the deal as a step toward “unlocking investment and collaboration” in high-growth sectors.
Microsoft’s commitment underscores the growing race among global technology leaders to secure AI dominance, while also giving Britain a significant foothold in the rapidly evolving field.