Microsoft will invest £2.5 billion over the next three years as part of plans to expand its UK AI datacentre infrastructure.

The move marks the company’s largest investment in the UK in its 40-year history.

The company said it will bring more than 20,000 of the most advanced Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) – which are necessary for machine learning and the development of AI models – to the UK by 2026.

Microsoft says the investment will help to meet the demand for efficient, scalable and sustainable AI specific tools and meet the needs of the private and public sector wanting to take advantage of the latest cloud and AI technology.

Microsoft will also extend its Accelerating Foundation Models Research (AFMR) programme, an initiative designed to promote interdisciplinary research on AI.

The tech giant said it aims to use AI to increase the rate of scientific discovery, with researchers from universities including Oxford, Bath and UCL being given access to the scheme.

As well as infrastructure, the company said it would make a “multi-million pound” investment in training one million people with the skills they need to build and work with AI. The initiative will be launched in partnership with non-profit partners and focus on developing AI technical skills, promoting safe AI development, and launching the first professional certificate on generative AI.

“The pace of change in AI demands action today to build a prosperous future for the UK tomorrow,” said Clare Barclay, Microsoft UK chief executive. “Today marks the single largest investment in our more than 40-year history in the UK.

“As business and the public sector embrace the AI opportunity, we are building the infrastructure that will support the growth they need, training the people who can deliver it responsibly and securing our society against emergent threats.”

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