UK's AI talent is envy of world and needs support, Nvidia CEO says
NVIDIA Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang described the UK's artificial intelligence talent as the 'envy of the world,' specifically calling out its researchers, universities and startups. But he said the country needs to more infrastructure to unlock their potential.
'The UK is in a Goldilocks circumstance' with good conditions for AI companies to thrive, Huang said in a conversation with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the start of London Tech Week on Monday. 'This is the largest AI ecosystem in the world without its own infrastructure.'
The type of AI models powering generative tools such as ChatGPT require a tremendous amount of so-called compute capacity from massive data centers to both build and process the inquiries from millions of users around the world. Those data centers in turn need abundant electricity, water and other infrastructure. In an acknowledgment of the support required, Starmer announced on Monday an extra £1 billion ($1.4 billion) of funding to 'scale up our compute power by a factor of 20' and improve infrastructure for building out artificial intelligence in the UK.
The government also announced a partnership with Nvidia to help train more people in AI skills and expand research.
Europe has struggled to compete with the US and China in producing groundbreaking generative AI companies and spurring as much data center development as its rivals. Huang is touring the continent this week, where he's described 'umpteen AI factories being planned' in the region. He is also expected to speak at Paris's VivaTech on Wednesday and will be visiting and meeting with leaders in the UK, Germany, France and Belgium.
'The thing that is quite extraordinary and is an incredible opportunity for the UK: AI is a technology, but is also an infrastructure because it affects so many industries simultaneously,' Huang said. 'Because this technology is so broad and so transformative to every single industry, it will be considered infrastructure just as electricity was.'
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority also announced on Monday that it was setting up a so-called regulatory sandbox to allow financial firms to experiment with AI using Nvidia's technology. These sandboxes let firms with new ideas at the intersection of finance and technology test their products and services before fully launching them.
Liquidity, a startup lender, will also set up a European headquarters in London and has committed to investing £1.5 billion in companies in the next five years. –BLOOMBERG
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Nato chief urges 400pct rise in alliance's air defence
LONDON: Nato head Mark Rutte on Monday urged a "quantum leap" in defence capabilities including a "400-per cent increase" in air and missile defence to shield the alliance against Russia. His comments came as he pushes for Nato members to commit to ramping up defence spending at a key summit of the western military alliance later this month. "We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies," the Nato secretary general said in a speech to the Chatham House think-tank in London. To maintain credible deterrence and defence, Nato needs "a 400-per cent increase in air and missile defence", the former Dutch prime minister added. "The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defence," he said. Rutte is urging Nato members to commit to 3.5 per cent of GDP on direct military spending by 2032, and an additional 1.5 per cent on broader security-related expenditure. The proposal is a compromise deal designed to satisfy US President Donald Trump, who has demanded that allies each spend five per cent of economic output on defence, up from a current commitment of two per cent. Rutte said he "expects" leaders to agree to the proposal at the summit of the 32-country alliance on June 24-25 in The Hague. "It will be a Nato-wide commitment and a defining moment for the alliance," he said in his speech. Russia condemned Rutte's comments before he took to the stage, denouncing Nato as "an instrument of aggression". Nato "is demonstrating itself as an instrument of aggression and confrontation", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. Rutte's speech came after he met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, their second Downing Street talks since the Labour leader came into power in July 2024. Starmer's government this year pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, but has not yet set a firm timeline for further hikes. On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would hit two per cent this year. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said last week the allies were close to an agreement on the split five-per cent target. "That combination constitutes a real commitment, and we think every country can step up," he said on Thursday. Nato members have been scrambling to bolster their defence capabilities since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump's return to the White House in January, and question marks over his commitment to European security, has added urgency. "Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends," Rutte said at Chatham House. "We must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full." He added that Russia currently produces the same amount of ammunition in three months as "the whole of Nato produces in a year". "Our militaries also need thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells," Rutte added. Britain announced plans last week to build up to 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines and six munitions factories to rearm the country in response to what it said were threats from Russia. Rutte also warned that China is "modernizing and expanding its military at breakneck speed". "Nato has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance," he added. And he warned that if countries cannot commit to 5.0 per cent for defence spending "you could still have the National Health Service, or in other countries, their health systems, the pension system, etc, but you better learn to speak Russian. I mean, that's the consequence". - AFP
Malaysian Reserve
5 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
UK's AI talent is envy of world and needs support, Nvidia CEO says
NVIDIA Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang described the UK's artificial intelligence talent as the 'envy of the world,' specifically calling out its researchers, universities and startups. But he said the country needs to more infrastructure to unlock their potential. 'The UK is in a Goldilocks circumstance' with good conditions for AI companies to thrive, Huang said in a conversation with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the start of London Tech Week on Monday. 'This is the largest AI ecosystem in the world without its own infrastructure.' The type of AI models powering generative tools such as ChatGPT require a tremendous amount of so-called compute capacity from massive data centers to both build and process the inquiries from millions of users around the world. Those data centers in turn need abundant electricity, water and other infrastructure. In an acknowledgment of the support required, Starmer announced on Monday an extra £1 billion ($1.4 billion) of funding to 'scale up our compute power by a factor of 20' and improve infrastructure for building out artificial intelligence in the UK. The government also announced a partnership with Nvidia to help train more people in AI skills and expand research. Europe has struggled to compete with the US and China in producing groundbreaking generative AI companies and spurring as much data center development as its rivals. Huang is touring the continent this week, where he's described 'umpteen AI factories being planned' in the region. He is also expected to speak at Paris's VivaTech on Wednesday and will be visiting and meeting with leaders in the UK, Germany, France and Belgium. 'The thing that is quite extraordinary and is an incredible opportunity for the UK: AI is a technology, but is also an infrastructure because it affects so many industries simultaneously,' Huang said. 'Because this technology is so broad and so transformative to every single industry, it will be considered infrastructure just as electricity was.' The UK's Financial Conduct Authority also announced on Monday that it was setting up a so-called regulatory sandbox to allow financial firms to experiment with AI using Nvidia's technology. These sandboxes let firms with new ideas at the intersection of finance and technology test their products and services before fully launching them. Liquidity, a startup lender, will also set up a European headquarters in London and has committed to investing £1.5 billion in companies in the next five years. –BLOOMBERG
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
UK to boost ‘homegrown talent' in new AI skills drive
LONDON: K Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday pledged to boost 'homegrown talent for the AI age' by teaming up with tech giants to train 7.5 million workers in artificial intelligence skills. Speaking at the start of London's Tech Week, with a line-up of speakers including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Starmer said: 'In this global race, we can be an AI maker and not an AI taker.' Starmer was due to have a one-on-one conversation with the chief of the star Silicon Valley semiconductor firm whose chips are critical for artificial intelligence applications and research. Ahead of the event bringing together industry giants, Starmer announced a government-industry partnership to train 7.5 million workers in AI skills, including in using chatbots and large language models to boost productivity. Tech firms including Nvidia, Google, Microsoft and Amazon committed to make training materials freely available to businesses over the next five years. Google EMEA region President Debbie Weinstein called it a 'crucial initiative' essential for developing AI skills, unlocking AI-powered growth 'and cementing the UK's position as an AI leader'. In his opening speech, Starmer said Britain must build 'the digital infrastructure that we need to make sure AI improves our public services'. The UK has a 'responsibility' to 'harness this unprecedented opportunity and to use it to improve the lives of working people', Starmer added. 'We are going to build more homes, more labs, more data centres, and we're going to do it much, much more quickly.' - Economic growth - His government has pledged to fire up the UK's flagging economy, including with 'pro-growth' AI regulations to attract tech investment and turn Britain into an 'AI superpower'. 'We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation -- so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it,' Starmer said in a press release before the event. The British leader unveiled £187 million ($253 million) in funding to help develop tech abilities including training for one million secondary school students, as part of its 'TechFirst' programme. He called it a 'step change in how we train homegrown talent for the AI age'. The investment will 'embed AI right through our education system', he said, announcing nearly £150 million in undergraduate and PhD research scholarships in AI and tech. Starmer also announced a 'commitment from Nvidia to partner on a new AI talent pipeline', including through expanding a Nvidia lab in Bristol, southwest England. The UK's AI sector is valued at £72 billion, employing over 64,000 people, and is projected to exceed £800 billion by 2035. It was growing 30 times faster than the rest of the economy, according to government figures from 2023 -- an 'incredible' rate, according to Starmer. Other speakers at the tech conference include the CEO of Mistral AI, Arthur Mensch, the UK's Science Secretary Peter Kyle and Markus Villig, founder of ride-hailing app Bolt.
