Maker or taker? The UK’s AI crossroads

This week’s UK-US tech pact was hard to miss. Microsoft, Google, Nvidia and others are pledging £31 billion into UK data centres, AI infrastructure and R&D. For a government keen to position Britain as a tech powerhouse, it’s headline gold.

On paper, this is exactly what the UK’s AI Opportunities Plan called for earlier this year: more compute, more talent, more innovation. So, job done? Not quite.

This is where the UK faces a choice or perhaps a tension. Are we building the engines of our own AI future, or just laying down the tarmac for others to drive on? 

The upside

There’s no denying these investments are a huge boost. They tackle our biggest bottleneck - compute - and create jobs, attract talent, accelerate AI Growth Zones and make it easier for startups and researchers to access world-class infrastructure. They also signal to the world that the UK is serious about AI, which can attract even more global players to set up here.

The agreement points to breakthroughs in drug discovery and healthcare, advances in cleaner and more reliable energy, and enhanced employment prospects.

It’s a bit like someone offering you the fastest car on the market. Today. For free. When you’re still tinkering with a go-kart. The temptation to say yes is obvious.

The catch

But here’s the rub: we don’t own the car. And if we’re not careful, we might end up just renting the ride. Forever.

Foreign tech giants are embedding themselves deeper into the UK economy, setting the terms of engagement through the infrastructure and models we’ll increasingly rely on. Data sovereignty becomes a live question. Who ultimately controls the data, the models, the outcomes? There’s also the risk of lock-in, with UK startups and public institutions dependent on a handful of providers whose pricing, priorities, and safety may not align with UK interests in the long run.

The danger is that we become a place where AI is deployed, not designed, a user, not a creator. That’s fine if our ambition is to be an attractive market for foreign tech. But if our goal is to be an AI maker, shaping the models, the ethics, and the direction of travel, then we need to be deliberate about how this plays out.

What we need to get right

This deal can be the foundation for UK AI leadership, but only if we put the right scaffolding around it:

• Set the rules of the road: Strong governance on data, IP and auditability so we keep some control over what’s built here.

• Back domestic R&D and startups: So the UK isn’t just hosting foreign models, but creating its own breakthroughs.

• Invest in public sector AI: Health, education, government services, areas where the UK can own the models and set the agenda.

• Think long-term resilience: Diversify suppliers, invest in skills, and make infrastructure sustainable; otherwise, the gains could be short-lived.

  
  

Our take

This deal is like adding rocket fuel to our AI ambitions. But rocket fuel burns fast. If we just take the win today and don’t invest in building our own engines, we’ll be left watching others chart the course.

The UK should welcome this investment, but with eyes wide open. We have to turn this moment into a springboard for domestic capability, not just a shiny showcase of foreign infrastructure. Otherwise, we risk becoming an AI taker and passengers on someone else’s journey.