Ed Miliband Faces Criticism After OpenAI Cancels £31 Billion Data Centre Plan
### Ed Miliband Criticised for 'Suicidal Energy Policy' as £31 Billion Data Centre Plans Cancelled
Labour's Ed Miliband faced stern backlash after OpenAI decided to abandon its £31 billion data centre project in the UK. The tech giant announced its decision due to ongoing concerns about the high costs of energy and uncertain regulatory conditions.
OpenAI's plans were seen as a boost for the UK’s AI landscape. However, the company has signalled it will not proceed until energy costs become more manageable. "We see huge potential for the UK's AI future. AI compute is foundational to that goal — we continue to explore Stargate UK and will move forward when the right conditions such as regulation and the cost of energy enable long-term infrastructure investment," the company stated.
This setback has been attributed to Miliband's energy policies, which critics argue are detrimental to business and investment. Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith remarked, "Ed Miliband's suicidal energy policy has just cost us another huge investment. The UK has top AI talent and labs but huge energy costs because of Labour's mad Net Zero agenda. If Labour let us fall behind on AI, British businesses will lose out to competitors."
Other companies in the tech industry also echoed similar sentiments, with Anthropic voicing concerns over energy prices affecting their operations. They warned that they too are halting investment in the UK until energy costs decrease, underscoring the urgent need for policy reassessment.