George Osborne says opposition to data centres is slowing Britain’s AI ambitions
George Osborne, a former UK chancellor and OpenAI’s head of AI for countries, said opposition to data centres was holding Britain back. He argued that the country needs the facilities to retain sovereignty over artificial-intelligence technology, amid protests over their water and energy use.
Former UK chancellor George Osborne has said opposition to data centres is holding Britain back as the country develops its artificial-intelligence infrastructure. The Guardian reported that Osborne made the comments in response to nationwide protests against large data centres. Critics have raised concerns about the facilities’ consumption of water and energy, according to the supplied material.
Osborne is now a senior figure at OpenAI, where he serves as head of AI for countries. The report says his role includes representing the company to governments and helping enable the construction of data centres and other infrastructure. He said the UK needs data centres to maintain “sovereignty” over AI technology.
The supplied material does not explain precisely how sovereignty would be measured or which projects Osborne was discussing. The report does not identify the protesters, give details of the demonstrations or include responses from local authorities, residents or environmental groups. It also provides no figures on the facilities’ water or energy consumption.
Osborne’s comments were reported by The Guardian. The available source does not establish whether the government has adopted his position or whether any specific planning decision has been affected.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.