The United Kingdom faces a critical computing infrastructure gap that could limit its potential as a global AI leader, according to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who spoke alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer at London Tech Week on June 9, 2025.
Huang, wearing his trademark leather jacket, described the UK as "the largest AI ecosystem in the world without its own infrastructure," despite having "one of the richest AI communities anywhere on the planet" with top universities, innovative startups like DeepMind, Wayve, and Synthesia, and the world's third-largest AI venture capital market behind only the US and China.
"You can't do machine learning without machines," Huang emphasized, noting that building AI supercomputers in the UK would naturally attract more startups and enable researchers to conduct groundbreaking work. He praised Starmer's announcement of a £1 billion investment to scale up the nation's computing capacity twentyfold as "such a big deal" for the country's AI future.
The Prime Minister, who described his vision for Britain as becoming "an AI maker, not just an AI taker," outlined a comprehensive strategy that includes not only infrastructure investment but also skills development. Starmer announced a partnership with 11 major companies to train 7.5 million UK workers in AI by 2030, alongside a £185 million "tech-first training program" aimed at equipping up to one million young people with essential tech skills.
In a significant vote of confidence for the UK tech sector, Starmer also announced that Israeli fintech firm Liquidity Group would establish its European headquarters in London, representing a £1.5 billion investment over the next three years. The AI-driven private credit firm plans to focus on providing funding to AI-focused companies at various stages of development, addressing a critical gap in the financing ecosystem.
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also revealed a partnership with NVIDIA to create a "supercharged sandbox" allowing financial firms to experiment with AI using NVIDIA's accelerated computing and enterprise software. This initiative, set to launch in October, aligns with the government's broader strategy to position the UK as a world-leading AI hub while ensuring responsible innovation in the financial sector.