UK and US strike $42B technology pact during Trump visit
Britain and the United States have signed a landmark technology agreement to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and civil nuclear energy. The “Tech Prosperity Deal” was unveiled as top U.S. firms, led by Microsoft, pledged £31 billion ($42 billion) in new UK investments.
The announcement came during President Donald Trump’s second state visit to Britain, which includes a royal ceremony at Windsor Castle hosted by King Charles and the royal family.
Focus on AI, quantum, and nuclear energy
The pact aims to drive joint development of AI models for healthcare, expand quantum computing capacity, and accelerate civil nuclear projects. UK officials said the deal will support economic growth, energy security, and scientific innovation across both countries.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted that the agreement could shape the future of millions on both sides of the Atlantic. He emphasized its potential to deliver both growth and long-term security at a time when he faces pressure to revive Britain’s sluggish economy.
The U.S. remains Britain’s largest trading partner, with American tech giants already investing billions in the UK. Starmer now seeks to attract even more investment by adopting a light-touch regulatory approach to AI, contrasting with the more interventionist model pursued by the European Union.
U.S. tech giants expand UK investments
The pact was reinforced by a wave of fresh commitments from leading U.S. tech firms.
- Nvidia announced its largest European rollout yet, deploying 120,000 GPUs across Britain. It will also partner with UK-based Nscale and OpenAI to deliver up to 60,000 Grace Blackwell Ultra chips as part of Microsoft’s Stargate project. This collaboration will build Britain’s largest AI supercomputer in Loughton, northeast London.
- Microsoft committed £22 billion to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure, including heavy investment in the new supercomputer. CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith described the deal as proof that the U.S. remains a trusted tech partner for the UK.
- Google pledged £5 billion, with plans for a new data center in Waltham Cross and continued support for AI research through DeepMind.
- CoreWeave will invest £1.5 billion in energy-efficient data centers with DataVita, bringing its UK commitment to £2.5 billion.
- Other companies including Salesforce, Scale AI, BlackRock, Oracle, Amazon Web Services, and AI Pathfinder also revealed new projects worth hundreds of millions to several billion pounds.
Nvidia executive David Hogan summed it up: these investments will “make the UK an AI maker, not just an AI taker.”
